She’s My Daughter
by EvilQueenoftheTardis
Summary: Selena no-last-name has never really had a home. She had been found abandoned in a stable somewhere in Maine and she has been living in and out of care homes all her life. But then, a woman named Regina Mills comes into her life and fosters her. But when she find out who Regina really is, will she abandon the woman who abandoned her, or will she help save Storybrooke? Set after se
1. This is Me (01-14 09:56:10)

Selena POV

My name is Selena. Selena no-last-name. What kind of a surname is that, you may ask? Well, it isn't. That's the point. I don't have a surname because I have absolutely no idea who my parents are. None. And seeing as I've lived in care homes for all sixteen years of my life, I haven't had much of an opportunity to find out. I mean sure, I've broken into an office a few times and read my file, but it is always the same. Yes, there have been more recent entries about how I've run away from several care and foster homes etc etc, but when it comes to who my birth parents are, it's always a big fat blank. No-one knows anything about my parents or where I came from, but I do know I was found as a baby in a stable somewhere in Maine. And now I live in London. Weird or what? Anyway, for the last five years, I've been attending the same high school, which, for a change, means that I have people who actually care about me. Okay, not really but I like to think they do. I mean I do have friends, but not friends that I can tell about my real life. So I just make it all up and tell them all about my really annoying brothers or how the gardener is gorgeous but won't take off his damn shirt, constantly adding tiny details to make it seem more real, for me as well as for them. However, for the past two weeks I've been living rough. You know, on the streets? And it's hard as hell. But I have nowhere else to go. Actually that's a lie. Because yesterday a woman came to see me and now I have the biggest decision of my life to make. Or one of them at least.


	2. The Woman

Selena POV

Yesterday, as I said, a woman came to see me and it was a very...surprising visit. I mean the fact that I even had a visitor was surprising, but what she said was even more shocking. I had to come out of my English lesson to go and speak to her in one of our school meeting rooms along with my head of year, and I was already very on edge about who this visitor could possibly be. Of course, my heart did it's usual marathon as my brain began the ludicrous but normal routine of giving me hope that it would be my mother or father. But that didn't last long. I guess you could say I've become immune to hope. Anyway, my second thought was that it was the police because of my current lifestyle, and this seemed to make perfect sense seeing as I hadn't told my head of year either, and so my heart re-started the marathon again, but this time in fear of what could happen next. Anyway, we reached the meeting room and I caught a glimpse of my visitor. She was a tallish woman with silky, dark brown, shoulder-length hair, chocolate brown eyes and bright red lips which contrasted with her pale skin in such a way that it made her look kind of like a cross between a gorgeous vampire and a super hot mum. She wore a knee length purple dress with a gold belt tied tightly around her waist and a midriff black blazer. This very official look, of course, set my heart racing again as I immediately believed she was another social worker, ready to cart me off to another dingy home. So, naturally, my walls went up and I walked into the room with a steely look on my face, determined not to let anything slip and even more determined not to give this woman any more of a reason to shove me into another home. As my teacher turned the handle and I walked in, my visitor immediately got to her feet and gave me a beaming smile, which I thought seemed slightly fake but that's probably just me being cold. She stalked up to me and extended her hand, which I shook quickly. Her fingers were cold, just as mine always were. For a moment, all I heard were whispers between the two women and I knew then that this was about another care home and I was all ready to bolt, when my teacher came towards me and gave me a reassuring squeeze before telling me my visitor had asked to see me alone. The caring smile she gave me, however, did not seem like her normal smile but as if I was about to get the biggest treat of my life. And as she turned away from me and out of the room, I swear I saw her wipe away a tear hastily. I frowned. Perhaps she had found out about my situation? But my thoughts quickly returned to the mysterious woman who had taken the seat opposite me and was watching me with a curious expression on her face.

"So, what even is your name?" I asked abruptly, wanting to break the silence.

"Hmm? Oh, I thought I told you, dear? When we shook hands?" She asked with an American accent, a small frown appearing on her face. I couldn't help but notice it was not unlike my own.

"Oh. Um, I didn't hear it." I mumbled, not wanting to meet her penetrating gaze.

"That's alright. My name is Regina. Regina Mills." She said smiling.

"My name is Selena, Selena-."I broke of hastily, not wanting to let this stranger know too much about me.

"Selena what, sorry?" Regina asked, a knowing smile appearing on her face.

"Selena Gold." I said quickly, looking at her belt and making a decision.

"Ah." She said, her smile growing even wider and showing more of her pearly white teeth.

"What's so funny?" I demanded as she gave a small chuckle.

"Oh, nothing. Well, it is something. You'll get that one later." And then she let out another snort of laughter, leaving me speechless. This woman was mental.

"Right...so are you just going to sit her laughing at your own jokes, or are you going to tell me what the hell you want?" I said, meeting her eyes as anger began coursing through my veins.

"Yes, sorry. I'm here to get-"

"If you're a social worker, you can bogg off." I retorted sharply. "And you'll get that one later." I added as I remembered her remark as Tracy Beaker came swimming to the surface of my mind. I snorted. That show's portrayal of a care home was about as close to real as unicorns were. Regina, however, simply grinned at my snarky remark and resumed talking in the same fashion.

"I am not a social worker or a care worker or anything like that, Selena. But I am here to offer you a home." Noticing my shocked and confused expression, she added coolly, "I would like to foster you."

I stared at her. She couldn't be serious. How did she even know I needed fostering? Who was she? My spilt second joy at her words were replaced by these questions and I quickly regained my steely persona.

"You are, are you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, I am." She answered calmly. "And I would have thought most people in your position would be happy about that." She added.

"Well, forgive me for not doing backflips around the room in joy, Miss Mills, but I don't think being offered a foster home with a woman I've literally just met is something to get excited about." I remarked angrily.

"And why is that?" She responded, her chocolate eyes flashing with hidden anger.

"Because it will never work out." I said matter-of-factly. Her face softened and she gave me a small smile.

"I know it's hard to believe that life can get better, Selena, but I assure you, this will work out as long as we're both willing to try." She said softly, and in that moment, all I wanted was for this woman to be my mother. Or big sister for that matter. But reality scoffed and punched me in the face and I smiled coldly back at her.

"It's not that easy, I'm afraid." I said, tearing my eyes away from hers.

"It can be." She said, leaning backwards in her chair and placing her hands on her crossed legs.

"Oh yes, I'm sure because Regina Mills said it can be it will be." I said sarcastically. She smirked.

"I'll tell you what, Selena Gold, how about you meet me for lunch tomorrow at 12 in that small cafe just down the street? If you show up, my hope will flare once more but if you don't, I'll understand that you want nothing more to do with me. Is that a deal?" She asked, leaning forwards and extending her hand once more. For what felt like aeons I sat there staring at her before thrusting out my hand and shaking hers.

"Excellent!" She exclaimed and then hopped out of her seat and extended a hand to help me up, which I ignored. Smiling slightly, she opened the door and stepped back to allow me to precede her before stalking out herself and letting the door slam shut behind her. I almost grinned at that. I never close doors, I wait for them to close themselves.

"It was nice meeting you, Selena." She said, her voice bringing me back to where we stood.

"And you." I replied stiffly. Still smiling, she nodded at me once and then walked towards the exit, the sound of her heels being slightly muffled by the thick carpet.

"Oh, and I've booked you a room in that weird looking hotel around here for a few nights in case you, ah, have grown tired of your current living arrangements." She added over her shoulder and then, with one final grin that seemed to hold a lot more than what was in plain sight, Regina Mills turned and stalked out of the building, leaving me more confused than I had ever been before.


	3. The Choice (01-14 09:55:59)

Selena POV

I sat at the bus stop as the rain pelted down and hammered against the screens of plastic protecting me from the cruel rage of the rain as it attacked mercilessly. I pulled my hood up further around my head and closed my eyes, the face of Regina Mills swimming inside my head. It was nearly midnight and I still hadn't made a decision on whether or not to meet the mysterious woman who had so quickly made such a big imprint on my life. I sighed, my breath causing the air in front of me to turn grey, almost as if it had turned old while waiting for the cold to subside. Shoving my hands into my pockets, I weighed up the pros and cons of this meeting in my head once again. On one hand, she was a complete stranger and could simply be a care worker in disguise, she could also be lying about wanting to foster me which would make me the victim of another cruel joke, and she seemed to be holding a lot of information back, almost as if she didn't think I was ready for it yet which made my mistrust grow stronger. She could even be some pyscho who likes kidnapping kids. Okay, that's probably not likely but it wouldn't be the first time I've encountered maniacs like that. On the other hand, she was offering me a home and she seemed to have travelled all the way from America so maybe she was serious about all this. She also seemed to be someone who I could relate to and, well, someone who I felt safe with, even though I could definitely sense a dangerous edge to her. I grinned. That was probably what I liked best about this Regina Mills. I had to meet her, I decided. I felt a sort of connection between that woman and myself and, well, I'd be stupid not to try and find out more about her. But what if I got hurt again? I shook my head roughly, pushing the thought out of my head. I had to stay positive if this was going to have any chance at all of working. Sighing, I crossed the street and passed the bench I usually slept on as I walked towards the hotel Regina Mills had picked out for me, secretly feeling that even staying here was a sign of the inevitability of me meeting her tomorrow.

Regina POV

I sat cross legged on my bed, rubbing cream into my legs. I thought the meeting had gone alright, although, of course, it could have been better. Selena certainly was not a push over or a softie or any of that mush and I internally congratulated myself. And I did this because if what Emma said was true, then Selena was my daughter. How, I don't know, but Emma had found a newspaper article of a baby girl being found in a stable in Maine and that is, of course, where I met with my first love, Daniel. I hadn't known I was pregnant until a few weeks after his death, and I had immediately set out to find a sorcerer who could conceal the bump so Leopold would not find out. I couldn't stand for him to believe he was the father of the Daniel's child, I just couldn't. It felt like an insult to his memory. And so I met Rumpelstiltskin who then, of course, became my magic teacher. Eight months later and I had given birth to the most beautiful baby girl, but I couldn't care for her. Or rather, I wasn't allowed. It's all very complicated but it involves both Rumpelstiltskin and my mother so I pretty much had no say in the matter. And so, against my will, she was sent away to a land without magic, a land where I later knew I had to curse us to go and so Selena ended up in this world, with only her name scribbled hastily onto a little note shoved into her blanket. Quite like Emma really. Although, of course, she wasn't shoved into a wardrobe by two idiots. Sorry, I mean Snow and Charming. No, Mary Margaret and David. Oh, I don't bloody know. But I trust them now and, well, they're family. Their daughter, Emma Swan, is their daughter, the birth mother of my adopted son, Henry, and also my best friend, although admittedly I had tried to kill her about a hundred times when we first met. I smirked. I almost missed the days where I would try and push her away from my son. Our son, I mean. Anyway, Emma had been the one to encourage me to go and find Selena. She had also been the one to warn me not to tell her I was her birth mother when I first met her, and I took her word for it seeing as she had been through the same thing. "Trust me, Gina, telling her you're her mother as soon as you meet her will just make her build her walls higher. She'll be conflicted. She won't know whether to be happy or angry or upset and you can't do that to her. Not when you've just met her. Let her get to know you first." That had been what Emma had said to me and it was probably the only bit of sense she had spoken in years. Anyway, she had encouraged me to go looking for her because after I had spent the first 18 years in this world looking for her, I had assumed she was dead, and that is why I adopted Henry in the first place. And that is also why she began ageing. Oh, it's all very complicated, but I cast a spell that would ensure Selena would remain a baby as long as I had not given up on finding her. And even though I never had, the spell seemed to take me adopting Henry as just that. I love Henry more than anything else in the world, but I need my daughter. My real daughter and the only child who will ever truly be mine, as due to that potion I drank to spite mother, I can no longer have children. I still can't believe I was so stupid, so proud, so arrogant. Don't think about it , I told myself sternly as I collapsed into my bed and pulled the covers under my chin. As I closed my eyes and remembered that I had been supposed to call Emma, my thoughts drifted straight back to Selena. She even looked a bit like me. She had my eyes. Her skin, however, seemed to be slightly more tanned which shocked me since she lived in England where sunshine was about as common as normal people in Storybrooke, but her hair was the exact same shade as Daniel's had been, that soft chestnut brown. A tear spilled down my cheek as I thought of my first love but I ignored it, my thoughts concentrated around Selena and trying to ignore the pangs of pain associated with Robin Hood. I really hoped she would meet me tomorrow, but no matter what I told her about leaving her alone, I knew I wouldn't. I would not give up on her. I loved her too much for that.


	4. The Cafe

Selena POV

I walked down the quiet street towards the cafe where I had agreed to meet the mysterious Regina Mills, my eyes darting furiously around the street for a glimpse of her unmistakable figure. Luckily, I managed to slip into the cafe without an awkward meeting beforehand and I immediately spotted her sitting alone at the back of the room, her brown eyes staring down at her red finger nails. Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I manoeuvred between the tables as I headed towards the one where she was sitting, still blissfully unaware of my presence. As soon as I was within a metre of the table, however, she looked up and met my gaze with such a big smile that it was almost foreign to me.

"Selena!" She exclaimed, getting to her feet and hurrying to meet me.

"Miss Mills." I said flatly, walking past her and ignoring her outstretched arms. Was she about to hug me? My heart did a small backflip at this thought and I cursed myself for being too proud to accept it, especially when her arms dropped quickly to her sides and her smile wavered slightly.

"I'm so glad you came." She smiled as she slipped back into her seat, regaining her composure.

"I am too." I said without thinking, my mind still racing through the possibility that I could have been hugged after about three years.

"You are?" Regina said incredulously, her beam broadening once more.

"Huh?"

She smirked. "Nothing, dear."

"Nothing what?"

"What?"

"What did you- oh never mind." I said sighing. Regina just laughed and that immediately made the tension between us relax slightly.

"Selena?"

"Yeah?" I said slowly, slightly frightened that she was going to say something important. Adults always say your first name when they're about to say something big, and I had presumed Miss Mills was no different.

"You don't have to call me Miss Mills, you know. Mo- Regina is fine." She said, but her grin seemed to waver as a light blush blossomed from her cheeks.

"Right. Sorry, Miss- I mean Regina." I said quickly, giving her a quick grin as I looked up from my menu. I liked this woman. She was very...up my street. Maybe this whole fostering thing could work out after all.

"Are you ready to order, ma'am?" The waitress asked Regina, who nodded and ordered a coffee and almond cake.

"And for you?" She asked, turning to me and I immediately rattled off my normal order of a caramel hot chocolate and red velvet slice.

"But no cream, please!" Regina and I called at the same time as the waitress walked away. I stared at her. She didn't like cream either? She was the only person other than myself who I knew didn't like cream. She was staring at me too, a look of mingled sadness and joy sparkling in her eyes. We grinned at each other, but moved on hastily, not wanting to admit what had just happened and how, well for me anyway, it had begun to change my mind about Regina Mills and the possibility of a future with her.

"That's hilarious!" Regina laughed, tears of mirth collecting in her eyes.

"It really wasn't!" I fake growled, but my eyes gave away my laughter. She just snorted and continued re-enacting the "ever so hilarious" scene where I had fallen into a bin on my way to school. It's a long story. Anyway, we had been here for about an hour and we were getting along great. She seemed to be the only person who could break down my walls and, if I wasn't very mistaken, I was sure I had the same effect on her. But I still didn't know much about this woman or what she did or anything, so I began the usual ritual of 20 questions.

"So, where do you live?" I asked her as I took a long sip of my second hot chocolate.

"Storybrooke, Maine." She replied, her eyes flitting to mine quickly, as if to watch my reaction.

"Storybrooke." I mused. "I'm sure I've heard that before..."

"Have you? Really? Where? When? How?" Regina asked quickly, her eyes suddenly alert.

"Woah calm down with the questions, Miss Mills! I mean Regina." I said, laughing at her overreaction but also feeling the gentle nudge of suspicion on my mind.

"Sorry." She mumbled, looked down at her coffee. I smirked.

"So Storybrooke, huh? What do you do there?" I asked in order to change the subject which she seemed only too pleased about.

"I'm mayor." She said matter-of-factly but I could tell she had kept that in for a long time.

"Mayor? Woah. And what does Miss Mayor Mills want with a kid?" I teased.

She smiled. "It gets lonely."

"So you don't have anyone else? No partner or anything?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"Well...it's complicated."

"I have time." I stated, causing her to grin.

"Alright, missy. I have a son called Henry whom I adopted, but his birth mother came back into his life about 6 years ago and we've been sharing him ever since."

"What's so complicated about that?" I said indignantly, but a small part of me was glad she had another child. It would mean I could have a friend. I decided to ignore the slightly jealous part of me.

"Well...now are you sure you're ready for this?"

"As long as you're not about to tell me his mother is bloody Cinderella or something then yes, I think I am very ready."

She laughed loudly, causing me to start slightly. I hadn't said anything that funny. She really was mental.

"No no, not Cinderella." She said, still grinning knowingly. I frowned. She was holding a lot back.

"His birth mother's name is Emma Swan and when she first came to town, she was my worst enemy. And I mean my worst enemy. As in, I went to some crazy lengths to ensure she left the town and would never come near me or my son again, but alas, I failed. Now she's my best friend." Regina said calmly. "Oh, and she's the daughter of my step daughter." She added as an afterthought.

I almost choked on my hot chocolate.

"She-what?" I spluttered.

"Hmm...which makes me Henry's step great grandmother, doesn't it? How bizarre." She mused. I stared at her, not knowing whether or not she was joking. Snapping out of her thoughts, she looked at me and gave me a sly grin, which automatically made me realise that if I did agree to live with this woman, my life would be one heck of an adventure. And hey, who doesn't love a bit of fun?


	5. The Decision

Selena POV

The meeting with Regina had gone better than I could ever have expected. She had been funny, kind, slightly mischievous and above all, she had listened to me. And that's all I really want. Someone who understands me. I smiled as I pulled the covers further under my chin (Regina had paid for this hotel for the next month) and thought about the future I could have with her. I thought about what it would be like to wake up to someone making breakfast, someone kissing me on the cheek and wishing me a good day at school, someone waiting at home to ask me how my day had been, someone to watch TV with while eating dinner, someone who I could argue with about bedtimes and someone who would come into my room when I was fast asleep and kiss me on my forehead. I had never had that. Yes, I had foster parents who had tried to treat me like their own, but they had never hugged me or listened to me or anything like that. They had just...provided for me. But Regina seemed different. Like she genuinely cared about me. And in that moment, I realised that I would say yes to her offer. Even if there was a lot more to her then meets the eye...

Regina POV

I paced up and down my hotel room anxiously, slapping my phone on the palm of my hand as I did so. I was waiting for Emma to call me back. I needed reassurance that I had done the right thing. The afternoon with Selena had gone brilliantly, absolutely brilliantly and I hoped beyond hope that she would let me foster her. She made me so happy and I just hoped I could do the same for her. But I still hadn't told her that I'm her mother. I couldn't. It didn't feel like the time. But maybe I should have done. I may have gone slightly too far with the whole my-adopted-son-is-actually-my-step-great- grandson thing, but I think she just took it as a joke and moved on. Hopefully. She's not stupid though, she knows there is more to me and my life than it seems. I mean, of course she's suspicious, she's my daughter. Just then my phone erupted in a cascade of musical notes and the name EMMA popped up on my screen. Sighing in relief, I picked up the phone.

"Hello?" I called.

"Regina? Are you okay? Your message sounded...frantic."

"Nice to know you care, Swan." I smirked.

"I don't. It's part of the friendship contract you made me sign."

I laughed. She always knew how to cheer me up. Just like Selena did today.

"So what happened? How did it go?" Emma asked, sounding almost like an excited teenager after their best friend had just been on a date. Sitting down, I began retelling the day's events.

"...and she was lovely. So funny she could even give you a run for your money."

"Impossible."

"She was sweet too. I think I managed to knock down a few of her walls because she let me squeeze her shoulders while we left."

"Okay yeah that is a big step. I didn't let anyone touch me when I was her age." Emma admitted.

"Yes well that's because you carried a very contagious disease, did you not?"

"Huh? Did I?"

"Yes, dear, it was called idiotis stupiditivis." I said solemnly.

Emma snorted. "I'm glad the docs caught it in time."

"They didn't, sweetie. Anyway, I think she is seriously considering taking me up on my offer."

"But that's great, Gina!" Emma exclaimed, her excitement evident through the phone.

"So why did you sound so anxious?" She said slowly.

"Well...I didn't tell her that I'm her mother." I mumbled.

"Oh, Regina." Emma said sadly.

"I know, I know! It just didn't feel like the right time. I thought it would scare her away." I said desperately.

"Hmm...maybe you're right. I mean you are the best judge in this situation. But listen to me, if things do go to plan and she agrees, when will you tell her?"

"I-I don't know." I cried.

"Hey hey it's okay! It's not a big deal. In fact, I think you probably did the right thing."

"You do?"

"Yeah, I do. Scaring her away would be the worst thing to do right now. Maybe you're right. Maybe she should get to know you properly first and live with you for a bit before you tell her. So she won't-"

"So she won't want to leave when she finds out." I finished softly.

"Exactly!" I could basically feel Emma positively beaming and that made me crack a smile too.

"Thanks Emma." I said grinning.

"No problem." She said happily. We spoke for a bit longer while Emma told me about her day and how Henry was before I let out a yawn that I couldn't disguise as a laugh and so Emma forced me to go to bed.

"Goodnight, Regina." Emma whispered.

"Goodnight, Emma." I yawned.

"I told you you were tired!" She said triumphantly.

"And I didn't argue."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did."

"Not."

"Did."

"Not."

"BED!"


	6. My Saviour

Selena POV

It had been two months since I had last seen Regina. I had told her that I would love to go and live with her in Storybrooke, but only after I had finished my exams here. She had offered to find a place here for us to stay, but I refused. I would only get distracted if I was living with her and I needed to focus. So she paid for the hotel room for another two months and we parted ways, her a lot more reluctantly than myself.

"But you will come once your exams have finished, right?" She kept asking me.

"Yes." I said for the millionth time. And then she'd beam and move on.

When the day of her departure came, she looked on the verge of tears. I almost cried myself at how much this woman cared about me, but I didn't. I couldn't let my guards down, not even now. But I did let her hug and kiss me goodbye.

"I'll be back for you in two months, okay? Exactly two months." She sniffed, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear. It was weird seeing this woman, who was so normally well put together and strong, crying, so I acted on an impulse and kissed her cheek.

"Two months." I promised. It, however, had the opposite effect as instead of cheering up, she began crying even more. Slightly alarmed, I began awkwardly patting her on the head, before I realised how bloody strange that was. It did cheer her up though.

"Good luck with your exams, you'll do brilliantly. And don't forget that it's white clothes on Monday's, Wednesday's and Saturday's and coloured clothes on the other days, okay?" She said as she rummaged in her bag for her passport.

I laughed. "Yes ma'am." And gave her a mock salute. She tapped me affectionately on my nose, gave me one last kiss on the top of my head and reminded me to call her every day before she was being ushered through the doors and out of sight.

It had been two months and now I stood waiting in front of my school for her to arrive and pick me up. I had told her that I could get on the plane myself, but she was having none of it and just kept telling me she wanted to be with me. I still didn't know how she could get past the legal system here, though. I mean, I'm an unregistered runaway and she just comes in and picks me up, with no legal claims to me. I shrugged. I figured I would ask her about that when I saw her.

"Who are you waiting for, fatty?" I heard a shrill voice ask behind me. I sighed. It was this lot again.

"I'm talking to you, you fat git!" Zoe Bald said as she came in front of me, her hands on her hips. Zoe was a girl who had bullied me for the past five years of my life and not once had she grown tired of it. At first, I could stand up to her but as time went on, I just became immune to her insults and, well, slightly fearful after she set a maniac after me. Long story.

"No-0ne." I said, as I met her piercing blue eyes.

"Oh yeah, you don't have anyone to wait for, do you? Mummy and daddy don't want you, do they?" She laughed, and her bunch of giggly baboons laughed too.

I ignored her.

"Why don't they want you, fatty? Is it because you stink like shit? Or is it because you're so fat? No no wait! I know what it is! It's because you're worthless." She sneered. I gulped, not wanting to show that her words got to me.

"Yeah, fatty, why don't you just run into the middle of the road, no-one will miss you!" One of her cronies yelled. A single tear spilled down my cheek as I thought about the time I had nearly killed myself.

"Aww is little ickle fatty crying? Does she want mummy to wipe away her tears? Oh wait, she can't!" Zoe crooned and they erupted in laughter once again.

"Nobody would ever want a freak like you." Zoe said softly. My wrist seemed to burn with her words, almost as if my scars were crying too.

"Actually, you're wrong." A strong voice called out, and Regina slammed the car door shut, her brown eyes ablaze with fury. I stared at her and the girls did too, their mouths agape at how it was possible that anyone, especially someone like Regina, would ever want someone like me.

"Selena, dear, what's going on?" She asked as she came to my side.

"Nothing." I muttered. Zoe, however, seemed to regain her confidence.

"Aw look, ickle fatty does need someone to take care of her!"

I looked down in shame. I couldn't bear for Regina to see me like this. So vulnerable. But she saw things differently and approached things in a very...unique fashion.

"Hmm...well seeing as Selena here is going to be the star of my next Broadway show, I think you should probably stop calling her that."

"What?" Zoe demanded, her jaw dropping.

"Yes, when I fostered Selena I decided to let her audition for my latest show and, well, she's a natural." Regina said calmly, but her eyes were still glinting dangerously. "Oh and she's going to be starring alongside Dylan O'Brien." She added as an afterthought. If possible, their jaws dropped even further.

"Now come on dear, I've left the penthouse unlocked." Regina said, turning to me and holding out a hand for my luggage. Grinning, I handed it to her and followed her into the car.

"Oh, and if you ever bully my daughter or anyone else again, I will find you and I will destroy you...if it is the last thing I do." And with that, Regina Mills slammed the door shut behind her, leaving behind a gaggle of nothing more than bad memories.


	7. The Journey Home

Regina POV

I wanted to bring up what had happened but I didn't know how. I had no idea she was being bullied. Tears pricked my eyes as I thought about my daughter having to deal with this all alone, without her mother there to help her. And they were calling her such awful things. Things that weren't even true. I had heard drifts off the conversation as my window was down, and I had definitely heard the word "fatty." I couldn't believe how anyone could think Selena was fat. She had a perfect figure and yet I could tell their words had affected her. Her eyes gave away her pain.

"Regina? Are you okay?" Selena asked anxiously, noticing my tears and bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Hmm? Yes. Yes, I'm fine, dear." I said, smiling reassuringly. She didn't look fooled. I took a deep breath and plunged.

"What happened back there-" I began slowly.

"No. Don't talk about it." Selena whispered. I looked at her, my strong little girl and nodded, unable to choke out any words. I placed my hand gently on her leg and felt her tense, before she relaxed slowly.

"So, do you really have a penthouse?" She grinned, obviously trying to change the subject.

I smiled. "Not exactly. But I do have a pretty big house."

"Perks of being mayor, I presume." She laughed.

"Yes, well, now you get to-"

Just then my phone began to ring and the familiar name of EMMA showed up on my screen.

"Hello?"

"Regina! Hey! You didn't call me to tell me you'd reached." Emma said, panic laced through her voice.

"Oops. Sorry, Swan."

"Yeah, you better be. You had Henry and I in a pickle."

"In a pickle?" I snorted, unable to hold in my laughter.

"Well, your daughter is British, isn't she? And that's what British people say!" Emma said defensively.

"Whatever you say, dear." I said, still laughing.

"Shut up, Gina." She mumbled. "Anyway how is she? Did you get her?"

"Yes. We're in the car on the way to the airport now." I glanced at Selena who was smiling softly as she looked out the window.

"Brilliant. Do you want me to pick you up from the airport then?" Emma asked.

"Hmm? No it's okay, I'll take my car."

Now it was Emma's turn to laugh.

"Honey, I dropped you to the airport this morning meaning your car is still in Storybrooke." Emma said slowly and in a patronising tone. My eyes narrowed automatically.

"I suppose that leaves me in a bit of a pickle, does it not?" I shot back.

"Well played, Mills, well played." Emma said defeatedly.

I smirked. "You were a good opponent, Swan, but just not good enough to beat the Ev- I mean me."

"That was a close one, Ev- I mean you." Emma laughed triumphantly.

"Alright, Swan, pick us up. I'll text you when we get there." I laughed.

"Yes Madame Mayor." She said, and I could just imagine the grin plastered on her face as she said it and hung up, obviously thinking she had won our little dispute.

"Emma's your best friend, right?" Selena asked.

"Right."

"So tell me more about people in Storybrooke!" Selena said happily as she leant back in her seat and put her hands behind her head as if relaxing on a beach somewhere.

"Alright." I laughed.

"So Emma is my best friend and she is the real mother of my adopted son Henry-"

"Yes, yes I know all that and Henry is technically your step great grandson or something." She laughed. I chuckled and carried on.

"Yes, well, Emma's parent's names are Mary Margaret and David who spent 28 years looking- okay forget that." I stopped myself, knowing that I couldn't tell her about magic just yet.

"What?" She asked, sitting up.

"Nothing."

"There was something."

"Doesn't matter. I'll tell you later."

She sighed. "Okay."

I smiled gently and we spent the rest of the journey home laughing and smiling. She was a new source of happiness for this Evil Queen.


	8. Meeting Emma Swan

Selena POV

The plane had just landed and Regina and I were now collecting my luggage while she texted Emma Swan to come and pick us up. I liked the sound of this Emma. But I still couldn't shake the fact that Regina had called me her daughter when standing up to those bullies. And she hadn't even faltered, or stammered or anything. It almost sounded like I really was her daughter. I smiled. She had saved me from the people who had tormented me for the last five years of my life as even though I doubt I would ever see them again, I knew now that they wouldn't hurt me online either. I also knew, however, that their words would never leave me and I would never be whole again. How could I be after I had attempted suicide and my scars were a constant reminder of my pain? I wouldn't tell Regina. Well, not yet anyway.

"Emma's on her way." Regina smiled as she looked down at me.

"Brilliant." I said tiredly.

"You can go to sleep in the car." Regina said affectionately.

"No way! I want to see America!" I said grinning.

"Okay, tiger." Regina laughed as we stood waiting outside for Emma Swan.

"Ah, here she is." Regina said smiling as a small yellow bug came into view. "Sorry about the colour." She whispered, her eyes twinkling. Just then, Emma Swan walked out of the car , her hair cascading down past her shoulders in golden curls and her green eyes sparkling as she looked at us.

"Regina!" She exclaimed, walking towards us. "And you must be Selena?" She asked, smiling at me.

"Yeah. Nice to meet you." I smiled as I shook her hand. Her dress sense was the total opposite of Regina's. While Regina went for blazers and pencil skirts, Emma went for red leather jackets and jeans. I grinned. It was hard to believe these two were best friends.

"So." Emma began as we drove along the motorway, "How are you finding America?"

"It's great! A lot bigger than England...and a lot less rainy." I said as I looked out of the window.

"Yes, I've heard a lot about England's weather reputation." Emma laughed.

"Why yellow?" I mused aloud.

"What?" Emma asked, frowning at me in the wing mirror.

"Sorry! I didn't mean it's a bad colour I just meant-"

"Like mother like daughter." Emma laughed and Regina smacked her.

"Ow! Sorry, sorry!" Emma yelped. "It's not like she heard me." She added under her breath. I should probably warn them I have awesome hearing. It's my superpower.

"She doesn't have much control over her mouth." Regina informed me as she turned to look at me, giving me a quick wink as she did so.

"You don't have much control over your temper." Emma shot back.

"Shut up and focus on the road, Swan."

Emma just laughed and nudged her jokingly. Just then, Emma's phone began to ring and Regina struggled to try and get it out of her pocket as she snapped at Emma to stay still and stop laughing ("It tickles!"). Finally, she managed to extract the phone from Emma's left pocket after a considerable amount of danger while she was leaning across Emma's entire body to reach it.

Regina POV

"Hello?" I panted.

"Emma?" Came the unmistakable voice of Mary Margaret.

"No, it's Regina."

"Oh, Regina! How are you? Good? Good. We're all good here too. Henry's at Jefferson's and Neal is happy and-" She rambled.

"Mary Margaret. What has happened?" I asked quickly, knowing she rambles when she's avoiding something.

"Well, um, there's been a slight, ah, advancement in the town's borders." Mary Margaret said slowly.

"What is it? What's happened?" I asked frantically.

"Well, you see, only people who have magic can get back in and so, um, your daughter -"

"Won't be able to." I finished slowly.

"Er yes." Mary Margaret muttered.

"So what do we do?" I said, almost yelling at Mary Margaret's lack of help.

"I don't know! It's a new advancement and so we haven't found any loopholes yet." She said, sounding as if she was on the brink of tears. "Oh Regina, I'm so sorry. You've just found her and now-"

"Don't say it." I snapped, earning a reproachful look from Emma.

"I have to go. David and I are going to see Gold." Mary Margaret said quickly and then she was gone. I slowly lowered the phone from my ear and turned to look at Emma, fear etched in every line of my face.

"Emma." I started. She turned to give me a quick glimpse before looking back to the road.

"Emma, only those with what Gold has can pass the town line." I said deliberately, trying to choose my words carefully.

"A dagger?" She whispered. I rolled my eyes. Trust her not to understand. I tuned to look at Selena and saw she had her earphones in.

"No, you idiot. Magic." I said quickly.

"Magic?" Emma almost screamed, giving me the right to smack her arm and hiss at her to shut up.

"Sorry, sorry!" She mumbled, rubbing the place I had hit her.

"Doesn't matter about that now. But what the bloody hell do we do?"

Selena POV

After Regina had picked up the phone, I had put my earphones in and was deaf to the world. Or so they thought. Unluckily for them, my superpower meant I heard certain fragments of their conversation that I don't think they wanted me to hear. For example, the word magic about three times. What the hell was going on?


	9. The Town Line

Regina POV

I sat rigid in my seat, my mind blank and my eyes filling with tears.

"Regina? Are you okay?" Came a soft voice from the back of the car. Selena. Fresh tears rose to the surface but I brushed them aside hastily and turned to give her what I thought was a reassuring smile.

"Yes, dear. I'm fine." I said, the break in my voice giving me away.

"No you're not. What's wrong?" Selena said, concern etched on her face.

"I'm just glad you're here, that's all. I've waited so long for this." I said softy.

"Well, don't worry. I'm not going anywhere." She smiled. And this, of course, made me want to break down into fresh sobs. Instead, I squeezed her hand and then turned to face the front, letting a tear slide slowly down my cheek as I struggled to keep myself from sobbing out loud.

"Regina." Emma breathed. "What are we going to do?"

I didn't answer as I forced my mind to concentrate and think up a solution to this seemingly impossible to solve problem. Finally, after quite a while, I responded.

"We go to Storybrooke."

And then we were kilometres away from the town line. My mind whirred with fear and anticipation, my heart beating fast with every breath I took. What if I was wrong? What if she didn't have magic? I took a deep breath, trying to settle my nerves. Emma patted me gently on the thigh.

"It's going to be okay." She whispered. I barely registered her, my mind still whirring with possibilities. Rumplestiltskin had used magic to conceal my pregnancy so maybe she had magic too. I clenched my fists tightly, my head pounding. I was wrong. Not many people were born with magic. The only person I knew was Emma. So I knew I was wrong. But before I could yell at Emma to turn her damn bug around, we were metres away from the town line. My voice caught in my throat and I couldn't force out the words to save my daughter's life. One metre. A sudden flash of purple and gold exploded before my eyes and I knew we had crossed the line. Literally.

Selena POV

For a few terrifying seconds, the car lurched from side to side and I saw weird flashes of purple and gold light before everything went back to normal, almost as if nothing had happened at all. I groaned as I shook my head, trying to get that weird feeling as if we had driven right into a force field out of my head. It was probably me just not being used to driving on this side of the road, I decided. And the lights were probably my imagination. But Emma and Regina had felt the shake and seen the light too. I could see it in their eyes. Regina, however, was looking at me with an almost awe like expression on her face, her eyes alight with happiness and her lips carved in a beaming smile. She let out a relieved laugh then, causing Emma to grin at her and causing me to frown. What was going on?

Regina POV

She had magic. She had magic. I couldn't believe it. It was almost impossible. I had learnt magic and Daniel didn't have a magic bone in his body, yet here she was, my daughter, with the same powerful gift that had been bestowed upon me. I smiled happily. I had finally found the missing piece of my happy ending.


	10. Welcome to Storybrooke

Selena POV

"Welcome to Storybrooke." Emma said, a hint of shock present in her voice.

"Thanks..." I said, slightly suspiciously. Why was everyone acting so weird all of a sudden? I shrugged. It was probably nothing. Unless it was to do with magic. I scoffed quietly to myself; there's no such thing as magic. Smiling, I turned to gaze out of the window and saw a small but cosy town nestled between vast blue waters and a fresh green forest. The sun beamed down at us, the rays of light dancing across the surface of the pristine water, highlighting the flecks of green amongst the endless blue. The road we were driving along now was filled with a variety of shops, each representing their own unique passion, for example, a restaurant called Grannie's with a baby blue decor and twisting green vines running up the back of the chairs, a colourful ice cream parlour that reminded me of something that should be in Disney Land and a serious looking shop sitting on the corner of the street named Mr Gold Pawnbroker and Antiquities Dealer. It looked almost like the boss of the town, what with it's gold and black paint job and the sombre atmosphere it seemed to emit. I felt an unexplainable shudder run through me and I ripped my eyes away from the shop, almost involuntarily. Trying to ignore the almost dooming feeling looming in my chest, I turned to engage Regina in a conversation about what her job was like, and although her light hearted comments and witty remarks to Emma's jokes, cheered me up, I couldn't tear my mind away from the terrible feelings I associated with this Mr Gold.

Regina POV

Selena had magic. The words danced through my mind as we drove through Storybrooke, my hand itching to hold hers. We were approaching my house and I sighed happily, knowing Henry would be their to greet us. We pulled up outside my house in Emma's usual spot and I turned nervously to see Selena's reaction. Her jaw had dropped as she stared up at the house, her chocolate eyes sparkling and her hand jumping up and down on her knee with what I hoped was excitement.

"What do you think?" I asked her anxiously.

"It's huge!" She exclaimed. "Good huge. I mean it's great. Not great as in big great, I mean awesome!" She rambled. I laughed.

"Come on, let's go inside!" Emma chuckled as she opened her car door.

Just then the smooth white door burst open and Henry came running down the stairs. His soft brown hair looked as if it hadn't been brushed for days and I knew his jeans had a hole in the back.

"Mom!" He said as he pulled me in for a hug. "And Mom." He grinned as he turned to hug Emma.

"Hey kid." She said, ruffling his hair.

"Henry, this is Selena. Selena, this is my adopted son, Henry." I said, my arm snaking around both their shoulders.

"Hey." He grinned, sticking out his right hand.

"Hey." Selena grinned back as she shook his hand. "Nice socks." She smirked, as she looked down at his red and blue spotty socks.

He smiled sheepishly.

"Henry!" I scolded. "Go and put some shoes on!"

"Mom!" Henry moaned.

"It's okay, Regina." Emma laughed. I glared at her and Emma backed off, her hands held up in a surrender.

"Come on kid." She grumbled, pulling him along by the ruff of his neck.

I shook my head as I reached out and grabbed Selena's hand.

"I'll give you a tour later if you like?" I smiled at her as we began walking up to the front door.

"I'd love that!" She exclaimed, squeezing my hand.

"But first we need some food." I laughed.

"Deal." She grinned, and with that I lead my daughter into her new home.


	11. Meeting Mr Gold

Selena POV

It had been a week since I had moved in with Regina and so far it was going great. We had breakfast together every morning, she would take me out for lunch at Grannie's and for dinner we'd go round to Emma's. Then we would come home, curl up on the sofa and watch TV before we'd head off to bed. My room was amazing. It was by far the biggest room I'd ever had. The walls were painted a delicate cream, I had the most comfortable double bed in the centre of the room with gold and white covers, a walk in closet, an oak desk and an en suite bathroom with ocean blue and porcelain white tiles. The bathroom had both a bath and a shower unit, a toilet (of course) and a sink with a closet above it filled with an assortment of shower gels, shampoos, conditioners, bath bombs and more. But best of all was the balcony. I had a view of the entire town and it was beautiful. I could see the blue sea and the green forest and everything in between, including the town line. It was weird though. Nobody ever seemed to leave the town or enter it for that matter. I had also met Mary Margaret and David Nolan who were Regina and Emma's friends, Ruby who was the waitress at the seemingly only cafe in town and her Granny, some of Henry's school friends and a woman named Belle, who had an Australian accent and a love for books, a passion which I shared. Despite meeting all these people and many more (in fact, I think I had probably met the whole town), I still hadn't met Mr Gold. Although I was sure I had seen him lurking around corners watching me. Still, I didn't want to ask Regina in case it looked suspicious but I was determined to meet him. It felt important somehow. So I decided to take the plunge.

"Hey, Regina?" I asked while we were eating breakfast one morning.

"Hmm?"

"Can I meet Mr Gold?" I asked quickly, deciding asking her outright was the best way forward.

"Mr-Mr Gold?" She spluttered, having choked on her cereal and spraying me with milk ("Sorry!"). I ran round the table and began smacking her on the back as she coughed. Finally, once she'd calmed down, she turned to face me.

"Why?" She asked suspiciously.

"I don't know, it just feels...important. I can't explain it but I feel like I need to meet him." I said slowly. Regina stared at me for a long time; I could almost hear her brain ticking.

"Alright." She said eventually. "Let's go and meet Mr Gold."

"Gold." Regina announced as she pushed open the door to the little shop. I frowned. All the gentleness and care in her voice had disappeared to be replaced with anger and...hate. I gulped. This man must be some serious work.

"Your majesty. What can I do for you?" Came a gravely British voice. A man appeared from behind gold curtains, a man with shoulder length grey hair, a black suit and a cane he used to support himself. A man whose eyes held a lot more evil than I could possibly imagine. And had he called Regina "your majesty"? What the hell did that mean?

"Selena, my foster daughter would like to meet you." She replied, walking briskly up to the counter where he stood, a small smirk on his face.

"Ah yes. Your dear foster daughter. Nice to meet you, Selena." Gold replied, extending his hand. I shook it quickly, resisting the urge to wipe my hand on my trousers. What was wrong with me? Why did I feel so angry? So upset?

"And you." I replied stiffly.

"So, I hear you wanted to meet me? I am flattered, really I am." He said, the words sounding empty yet intrigued.

"Yes. I felt it was...important." I replied. It sounded stupid even to my own ears.

He raised his eyebrows. "Important? How so?"

Regina was staring at me, almost as if my reply would be an answer to an exam question. Almost like this was a test.

"I suppose you could say it was a gut feeling." I answered, trying to put strength behind my voice.

"A gut feeling?" He pressed. My eyes narrowed. This guy was beyond irritating.

"Just an instinct." I said coldly.

"An instinct? Care to explain?" He continued.

"Not particularly."

"Then why have you come? Was it really just a, what did you call it? A gut feeling?"

"Yes. Although I can see now it's been a mistake. My gut must be having some sort of malfunction." I replied angrily.

"Hmm. Maybe you ought to try indigestion tablets." He said with a sly grin.

"Maybe you ought to try a new suit. That one looks like it's been rolling around in pinecones and moths." I shot back. "Regina, let's go." And with that I stalked out of the cluttered little shop, slamming the door behind me.

"Mother like daughter. I seem to remember hearing you tell your dear Robin Hood that he used pinecones for money." Gold said to Regina as she glared at him.

"Don't you dare mention Robin." Regina muttered, her voice breaking slightly.

"Hmm. Still a bit rocky, are we?" Gold mused, a cold smile forming on his face.

"It's none of your business." Regina snapped.

"So, how did you find the little meet and greet with Selena then?" Gold continued as if nothing had happened.

"You didn't have to be such a...a-" Regina said, her voice rising.

"A what dearie? I was perfectly civil. It was your daughter and the fiery temper she gets from you which caused a problem." He replied, a sneer creeping into his voice.

"A fiery temper means strength, Gold. You should know that."

"Perhaps. But what happens when you get too close to fire?"

"What?" Regina asked, rolling her eyes.

Gold leant in closer to her, his eyes gleaming.

"Why, you get burnt, of course.


	12. Never in your Twisted Imp Dreams

Regina POV

I lay in bed, pondering the meeting with Gold. He knew more than he was letting on. So much more. I tossed furiously in bed, trying not to think about Robin and what a brilliant time he would be having with Marian. Or maybe he still loved me. I groaned. And Selena. What must she think? I had to see Gold. I had to find out what he knew about my daughter.

So after my resolution last night, I set off early the next morning to see Gold. Not wanting Selena to find out, I decided to leave at 9, knowing she would still be asleep. But I was in for a surprise.

"Regina?" Selena asked from the sitting room, a bowl of cereal in her hands.

"Good morning, sweetie." I replied hastily. She smiled fleetingly and I knew she wasn't used to any affection. The thought brought tears to my eyes.

"What are you doing up so early?" We asked at the same time. And then we laughed at the same time. I smiled, feeling both happy and sad at the same time. I needed to tell her who I really was. But right now was not the time.

"I couldn't sleep so I just came down to watch some TV." Selena replied, gesturing to her current position.

"Couldn't sleep?" I asked, concern filling my voice. "What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" I said as I hurried over to her.

"Woah, calm down! I was just...thinking." She replied, itching her nose as she did so. I frowned. Was that her little quirk she did when she was lying? The fact that I was her mother and I didn't know saddened me deeply.

"Same." I said, deciding not to press the situation. She would come to me in time. "But I have to go out. I have some business I need to take care off."

"Alright." She shrugged. "See you when you get back."

I nodded, unsure as to whether or not I was meant to hug her or kiss her or something. I shook it off. That would freak her out.

"Grannie's at 12?" I asked as I slipped on my shoes.

"Sure." She grinned. Just as I was about to close the door behind me, I turned to look at her one last time. She looked so beautiful and so at home sitting there, her legs crossed beneath her and her bowl balancing on a pillow. I smiled happily, the fact that I had my daughter in my house relieving some of the anger I felt towards Gold.

I pushed open the door to Gold's shop, the sight of him behind his counter making me even angrier.

"Ah, Regina. To what do I owe this pleasure?" He asked.

"I want information. Information about my daughter." I demanded as I approached the counter.

"Well, she's about yey high, light brown hair, she has your eyes-"

"Shut up." I snapped.

"You aren't happy she has your eyes?" Gold said innocently.

I rolled my eyes. "Just shut up and tell me what I need to know."

"I've already told you everything, Regina." He sighed as he walked around the counter to stand in front of me.

"I don't want to know about her past. I want to know about her future."

"And you want me to look into a crystal ball and tell you?" Gold said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I know you know something about Selena. I know you do." I answered as I stepped closer to him. "Tell me."

"And what do I get in return?"

"What do you want?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Her blood."

"Her what?!" I almost screamed.

"Her blood." He said calmly.

"You twisted little imp, how-"

"I don't want her dead!" Gold cut in shortly. "I just need a vial of her blood. In fact, you'll probably thank me for it later."

"I doubt that, you bloody-" I began.

"Ah, how sweet, her accent is rubbing off on you."

I frowned. The imp had caught me off guard again. Just as I opened my mouth to respond with a witty comeback, he opened his.

"Do we have a deal?"

I sighed. What choice did I have? I needed to know. But I couldn't. How could I give Rumpelstiltskin my daughter's blood? What kind of a mother would that make me?

"Never in your twisted little imp dreams." I sneered and with that, I turned and stalked out of the shop, a new plan already beginning to form in my still devious mind.


	13. Advice from a Swan and a teen

Selena POV

Regina and I were sitting in our normal booth at Grannie's when Emma walked in with Henry, both of them laughing about something Emma must have said.

"Mom!" Henry called when he saw us. "Selena." He added, smiling.

"Hey." I smiled back, moving over to make space for Emma.

"Two hot cocoas with cinnamon coming up." Ruby the waitress laughed as she passed the table.

"Emma. A word?" Regina asked as she met Emma's eyes. I knew something was wrong but Regina wouldn't tell me. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, I mean I am only 16.

"Sure." Emma frowned, getting up and walking to the far end of the room. Henry made way for Regina to sidle pass him and then she went to join the blonde.

"What do you reckon's going on?" I asked Henry who was staring over at them intently.

"Hmm? I don't know." He replied hastily, giving me a quick grin.

"You're lying." I said matter-of-factly.

"I am not." He frowned.

"Mhmm. You all know something I don't. I know you do." I said.

"Like what?" He asked, curiosity etched on his face.

"Like-" I started. Could I trust him?

"You can trust me, Selena." He said as if he could read my mind. I nodded. I felt like I could. Like he would understand. Like he would help.

"Alright. Well, I keep hearing strange words and feeling strange things." I began again.

"Specific." He chuckled. I wacked him playfully on the arm.

"Anyway, like I said, I keep hearing words that don't make sense. Not in reality anyway. Like when I was in the car on the way here, I heard Emma and Regina talking about magic. And they sounded dead serious too. What the hell does that mean?" I said, not able to stop the flow of words now. Henry was looking at me with a mixture of curiosity and fear.

"Magic?" He asked.

"I know it sounds crazy but it's what I heard."

He nodded. "I believe you."

"You do?" I asked incredulously.

"I do." He repeated.

"I wasn't aware we were getting married." I said as I stuck out my tongue. He laughed.

"Anything else?" He asked.

"Yes. I had a weird feeling that I had to talk to Mr Gold. Like I already knew him." I said slowly.

"Interesting." He said quietly.

"I'd call it weird."

"I can help." He said loudly. "We'll figure this out." I smiled.

I decided I liked Henry Mills.

Regina POV

I had to talk to her. I had to talk to Emma. We walked over to the corner of the room, leaving Henry and Selena laughing at the table. I couldn't help but smile.

"Regina? What's wrong?" Emma asked anxiously.

"Gold." I said, snapping my head round to look at her.

"Gold? What's happened? What did he do?"

"Selena wanted to meet him so I-" I began.

"Selena wanted to meet him?" Emma asked, obviously shocked.

"Yes. She said she felt it was important."

"Regina, maybe she's remembering." Emma said slowly.

"She was a baby, Emma. How could she possibly remember?" I asked, resisting the urge to roll my eyes.

"I don't know! Anyway, carry on."

"Right. So Selena and Gold had a slight, ah, disagreement-"

"She's definitely your daughter." Emma snorted. I glared at her, but my smile gave away the tinge of pride I felt.

"Anyway, he told me that she's got a fiery temper and I said that leads to strength but he said that if you get too close to fire you get burnt. So what does that mean?"

"That you shouldn't touch fire?"

I whacked her on the arm.

"No. I think it means that she's..."

"Dangerous." Emma whispered. I looked up at her, my eyes watering.

"Do you think it's true?" I asked.

"I don't know but you need to tell her. You need to tell her everything." Emma decided, still rubbing her forearm.

"I can't! How am I meant to convince a sixteen year old that fairytales exist and that they're all living in this town?!" I groaned, throwing my hands in the air in exasperation.

"You can at least start by telling her who you really are. She deserves to know." Emma said.

"She deserves to know." I echoed.

"That's sorted then. You'll tell her tonight."

"Tonight?"

"There's no point in delaying it, Regina. You know that." Emma smiled sadly.

"But she's only been here a week. She won't want to stay." I said desperately.

"Regina, you're her mother. She won't want to be anywhere else, even if she is angry at first." Emma reassured me.

"There's one other thing, though." I started again.

"And what's that?"

"Gold. He wants her blood."

"He-he wants her-" Emma stuttered, horror evident in her eyes.

"Yes. He wants a vial of her blood. I have no idea why but he said I'd thank him for it later." I said quietly.

"I'll figure it out, Gina. Don't worry about it. You just focus on telling Selena."

"Hey Mom." Henry said over the phone.

"Hello sweetie. How're you?" I replied, putting my book down.

"I'm okay. Um, I wanted to talk to you about something." He said cautiously.

"Have you found a girl?" I almost screamed, excitement evident in my voice.

"No! Honestly, Mom." He said and I knew he'd rolled his eyes.

"Well, you can't blame a mother for trying." I said solemnly.

"Fair enough." He laughed.

"So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" I prompted.

"Um it's actually about-"

"Selena!" I yelled, rushing towards her bedroom from where I had just heard a sudden crash.

"Well yeah but-" Henry said confused.

"Not now, Henry!" I said and began knocking profusely on her door.

"Selena? Selena!" I yelled.

"Sorry! I dropped all the shampoos and conditioners and shower gels and sponges...although I don't think they made much of a noise...! She shouted back. "And it scared the bloody shi-poop out of me." She muttered. After laughing and checking she was okay about 50 times, I headed back to my room, chuckling as I did so.

"Sorry, Henry." I giggled as I sat back down.

"No problem. Looks like there's plenty of chaos in the house without me." He laughed.

"I still miss you, dear."

"I know, Mom. I'm seeing you tonight anyway."

"Yeah, about that-" I began nervously.

"Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about Selena." He interrupted. I rolled my eyes. That interrupting thing was definitely something he got from Emma.

"Yes?"

"Well, she told me how she's been hearing weird things ever since she got here. Actually before she got here." He began.

"What? What do you mean?" I asked, immediately on edge.

"I mean she heard you and Emma talking about magic in the car and she has all sorts of suspicions about Mr Gold so I told her I believed her and that I'd help her but, Mom, I think we both know it's you that has to tell her the truth." He said in one breath.

"I know." I sighed.

"And it is going to be hard but you have to-wait what?"

"I said I know." I repeated, chuckling slightly.

"Oh. Well that was easy." He said, his happiness yet suspicions evident in his voice.

"Yeah well. You and your mother are both very persuasive." I groaned.

"Correction: both my mothers are very persuasive." He laughed.

"Alright, cheeky. I'm going to do it tonight."

"Tonight?" He shouted, obviously shocked.

"Yes, dear. Or at least that's what your dear mother Swan advises." I mumbled.

"That's brilliant!" He exclaimed.

"Henry! Whose side are you on?" I asked, feigning being hurt.

"The side of righteousness." He said solemnly. I snorted.

"Alright then my little scholar. I guess I'll be coming to join you."

"We have been expecting you." He said deeply.

I laughed. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I think it's better you two are alone tonight." He decided.

"I'm scared, Henry." I whispered.

"I know, Mom. But it'll be worth it in the end. You and I both know no relationship works if it is based on lies." He said seriously.

"Since when did you get so wise?" I laughed.

"Since I was conceived." He smirked.

"EW! I do not want to imagine that." I moaned.

"And here I thought I was the teenager." He said, shaking his head. "Anyway, I gotta go. Grandma's got dinner ready. Good luck! Love you!" And with that he hung up, leaving me with one hell of a task.


	14. The Truthwell part of it

Selena POV

I sat curled up on the sofa watching Gossip Girl, my head resting on a pillow and my legs curled beneath me. Regina sat on the other side of the sofa reading, or so she says (I've caught her staring at the screen before she's hastily looked back at her book when she sees me smirking at her). However, she looked very nervous. I kept trying to ask her why but she just shrugged it off and told me she had a lot of work to do. Just as the episode finished and Regina had set down a mug of steaming hot chocolate in front of me, she cleared her throat and turned off the TV.

"I have something to tell you." She announced, her voice trembling. I immediately knew she was going to send me back. Send me back to that wretched prison they call a care home.

"You're sending me back, aren't you?" I said quietly.

"Sending you- No! No, of course not!" She cried. I shook my head. She was lying.

"It's okay. I'm used to it." I shrugged, trying to act like I didn't care.

"Selena-" She began.

"I must have done something wrong. What have I done? Was it the shower incident? Do you just not want me anymore?" I asked, beginning to tear up but also beginning to feel the tickles of anger.

"No, Selena, it's nothing like that." She said as tears streamed down her face. "Really, it isn't. I will never send you back to that dump. Never."

"Really?" I asked anxiously.

"Really." She smiled through her tears.

I grinned in relief. "Then what is it?"

"First I have a question." She said, turning to look at me so we were both facing each other cross legged on the sofa.

"Yeah?"

"Are you happy here?"

I stared at her. Wasn't it obvious? "Of course I am!" I laughed.

"No seriously, Selena. Are you happy?" She said seriously.

"Yes." I said quietly. "I am. This is the first place where I've felt like I...like I belong." I blushed at the words. I was so not emotional about these things. She smiled then. A smile that made her whole face shine with happiness.

"Good. Then I think it's time to tell you."

"If you're gonna tell me this is all a dream or something, I will not be impressed." I joked.

"Not quite." She laughed. Then she took a deep breath and held my hands in hers.

"Selena, I'm your mother."

I stared at her. This couldn't be real. It couldn't.

"So that's how you managed to get me here." I mumbled. It's strange how the brain works, isn't it? Making me think of such an incredibly irrelevant comment to make in response to the life-changing statement that had just passed Regina's lips.

"What?" She frowned.

"That's how you got me here. Legally, I mean." I explained.

"Oh. Yes, that's why I have legal claims to you." She responded, confusion still evident on her face.

"I was going to ask you." I muttered. "I wonder what you'd say. Just another lie I suppose." I said, anger creeping into my voice.

"Selena-" She started, her eyes beginning to water.

"Save it." I snapped, and with that I jerked my hands out of her grip and stalked out of the room, my heart a hell of a lot heavier than it had been when I'd entered it.

Regina POV

I sat numb on the sofa, my mind and heart still racing. I threw my head back against the sofa and groaned. I knew it would be hard but I didn't know it would be this hard. Although this did just feel like the calm before the storm. What was I meant to do now? Go to her? Give her space? We were going to have to talk about this, she knew we were. She would ask me why I didn't come and find her. Why I had even abandoned her in the first place. Tears spilled down my cheeks just at the thought. But what was I meant to tell her? That she was the daughter of the Evil Queen from the fairytale Snow White and Rumpelstiltskin had cast her away? Oh, and not forgetting the ever so lovely help from the Queen of Hearts. She would think I was so damn mental that she'd probably run away. And I was not going to lose her. No way.

Selena POV

I sat cross legged on my bed, half crying and half fuming. Why was I so angry? So upset? Anyone in their right minds would be overwhelmed with happiness if they had just found their birth mother and yet here I was, crying quietly as I simultaneously beat up a pillow. But I knew why I was so conflicted. I had just found the woman who had abandoned me. The woman who had left me in a stable when I was literally a newborn. The woman who hadn't bothered looking for me for sixteen years. What had I done wrong? Why had she even left me if she wanted me so badly now? I let out a sob and fell face down onto my bed, my tears soaking the abused pillow. Through my sobs, however, I heard a soft knocking sound coming from the door. Regina. She wanted to speak to me. I glared at the pillow almost as if I was blaming it and then chucked it at the door, hoping she would get the message.

"Selena?" She said softly. I didn't reply. She obviously didn't get the hint. Or she was just ignoring it. The thought almost made me crack a smile. Almost.

"Selena, I'm coming in." She announced and then she pushed open the door and walked in, her determined face falling as she saw my tear streaked one.

"Oh, sweetheart." She said sadly as she hurried towards me and pulled me into her arms. I tried to pull away from her, to twist myself out of her grasp, but she was too strong. Eventually I gave in and collapsed onto her shoulder, tears still streaming down my face.

"Selena." She said quietly. "Selena, let me explain."

I nodded and pulled away, wiping tears away from my face as I did so and noticing she was doing the same.

"I think you'd better." I agreed. I was almost angry at myself for being less angry than I felt I should have been but I pushed the feeling away, knowing I had to keep a clear mind if I was going to be able to hear her out.

"First things first, I didn't leave you." She began.

"You didn't leave me?" I said incredulously. "So abandoning me in a stable when I was a baby wasn't leaving me?" I cried, anger coursing through my veins. So much for keeping a clear mind.

"Selena, calm down!"

"No, I will not calm down!" I shouted as I leapt to my feet. "How can you tell me you didn't leave me? For sixteen years you left me, Regina! I had no idea who I was or where I came from for sixteen years. I still don't! All I knew was that my mother and father didn't want me. That I obviously wasn't good enough for them, just like those girls at school constantly reminded me-" I yelled, my voice breaking as I remembered the torture they had put me through.

"Selena-" Regina started, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"No. Let me finish." I demanded. She just stared at me, her brown eyes glistening with tears.

"For sixteen years I had no idea what I had done wrong. I kept battling that one question, the question that haunted me all the bloody time: why would anyone want to give me up? What had I done that was so bad that my own mother had abandoned me? And living with that, living with the knowledge that you will never be loved because your own mother couldn't love you is not an easy thing, Regina. It's not an easy thing at all." I finished, tears pouring down my face now. She just looked at me, pain etched in every line of her face, sadness filling every tear that dropped from her eyes, guilt protruding with every breath she took.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered, tears spilling onto my pillow as she looked down at her feet.

"Just tell me why." I said curtly, sitting back down.

"Okay. But it's a lot to take in."

"I'm ready." I said, determined to know the truth. She smiled weakly at me.

"I know you are. But we need to do this properly. Can you let me do that? Please?" She asked. I stared at her. She wanted me to give her even more time? Was sixteen bloody years not enough? Despite my fury, I found myself nodding almost involuntarily.

"Thank you." She said relieved. "Now let me tell you the gist of it." She looked at me almost as if waiting for my approval and when I didn't say anything, she carried on.

"What I meant to say was that I didn't leave you voluntarily. I was forced to give you up. And I don't mean peer pressure, I mean you were forcefully pried from my hands minutes after you had been born and sent away to a place I didn't find out until much later."

I wanted to interrupt, to ask so many questions but my immediate happiness at her words and how she hadn't wanted to leave me were beginning to push out the anger and so I decided to just keep listening, not trusting myself to speak just yet.

"So anyway, you were taken from me and not once, not once, did I give up on you. I searched land after land for you but I couldn't find you. Couldn't even find a trace of you. And so, after another long period of time, I found myself a new life in Storybrooke. But I didn't stop looking for you. I looked for you for so long, but the hole in my heart just deepened with every day that I was without you. And so I adopted Henry, hoping that by caring for him, I would be able to pay back some of the guilt I felt for not being able to raise you. And then, about a week before I came to you at school, Emma found the article that said a baby had been found in a stable in Maine and I knew immediately that it was you. So the next week, I jumped on a plane and came to visit you at school and, well, you know the rest." She summed up. Her eyes met mine then and I knew she was searching for a sign of forgiveness, trust, anything. And I believed her. I didn't know why, but I did.

"Okay." I muttered, trying to form logical sentences even though my brain still seemed slightly behind schedule, what with this new advancement taking up nearly every cell in my being to comprehend. "I believe you."

Her face spilt into a huge beam then, her eyes crinkling and her white teeth sparkling. "Thank you." She whispered.

"But I want to know more." I interrupted. "I want to know who took me away from you and I want to know why. I want to know how Emma could find me but you couldn't. I want to know what happened to my father-"

"He's dead." Regina said quietly. I stared at her, my mouth frozen open.

"He's-he's dead?"

"Yes. And I will explain that to you when the time is right too."

"But I want to know-" I began.

"I know you do, honey. But please, just let me do this the right way." She begged.

"As long as it's not another sixteen years." I said, not sure myself whether I was being serious or joking.

"Definitely not sixteen years." Regina smiled. "How about within the next week?"

"How about tomorrow?" I bargained. She laughed.

"Okay. Tomorrow." She nodded, almost as if she was convincing herself.

I smiled. I had just found my mother and she had been looking for me my whole life. I wasn't alone anymore. I looked up and met Regina's eyes.

"I'm sorry for exploding on you." I mumbled.

"You do not need to apologise!" She exclaimed. "Although you may want to remember this moment as it is highly unlikely that I will ever say that again." I laughed.

"Selena?" She asked, her face getting all serious again.

"Yeah?"

"I may not have wanted to leave you, but that doesn't excuse the fact that you grew up without a mother. Without someone to care for you. I am so sorry for that." She said, her voice cracking with sorrow and her eyes filling with tears once again.

"Regina-" I began.

"No, let me finish." She said, echoing my words from earlier on.

I nodded.

"I should have done whatever it took to keep you. But I was so weak, so sad, so hurt. But that shouldn't have been an excuse. I should have put up more of a fight."

She looked at me then, her brown eyes boring into mine.

"Selena, I am so sorry. Please, please forgive me." She begged, her voice full of guilt and pain. I looked at her. I looked at her tear filled eyes which carried so much guilt and grief. I knew then that I would forgive her. That I always would have.

"I forgive you." I said quietly. She laughed with relief and pulled me in for a hug, my head resting on her shoulder and her arms wrapped tightly around me, her hands rubbing my back soothingly. I don't know how much later it was, but soon I had been taken by the gentle clutches of sleep as I lay safe in my mother's arms.


	15. Once Upon A Time

Selena POV

I awoke to the smell of pancakes and chocolate filling my nostrils. Inhaling deeply, I turned to find the bed empty; Regina was obviously already up. Groaning and pushing my hair back from my face, I set about getting ready for the day, my thoughts immediately back to the fact that I had found my mother. I couldn't believe it. After all this time, after sixteen years of believing my mother hadn't wanted me and would never try and find me, here I was, in her house, while she made us pancakes. I brushed away the tendrils of guilt brushing at my heart and smiled happily instead, wondering what life would be like with a mother.

"Selena?" Regina called. "Breakfast!"

I smiled. Whatever it was going to be, this was definitely a good start.

"Coming!" I shouted back. A few minutes later and I was sitting at the kitchen table with a plate of luscious pancakes sitting before me.

"So." Regina said between mouthfuls. "Today's the day."

"Today's the day." I agreed, looking up at her.

"We're going to need to see a certain adopted son of mine." Regina continued in a business like manner.

"Henry? What does he have to do with all this?" I frowned, remembering the knowing looks he had given me during our little chat the previous day.

"Everything." She said simply. "And so does Emma." She added. "And Mr Gold. And Mary Margaret. And David. And-" She continued, her voice taking on the tone of a list.

"I get it." I laughed. "So...first stop, Henry?"

"Henry." She confirmed.

"Hey." Emma grinned as she opened the flat door to let Regina and I in.

"Hey." Regina smiled back, allowing Emma to pull her in for a brief hug.

"Hey, Selena." Emma beamed, stealing a hug from me as well as Killian Jones, Emma's fiancé, grinned at me from behind her.

"Hey." I smiled back.

"You seem very happy, Swan. You're not usually the hugging type." Regina smirked observantly as she hung her coat up.

"I'm just glad you finally told Selena." Emma smiled.

Just then, Mary Margaret bounced into the room, her face glowing and her eyes full of joy.

"Oh, Regina, we're so glad you finally told her! David and I-" She began.

"You knew about this?" I asked, a hint of anger in my voice.

"Well, Regina needed help so-" She started anxiously.

"Mom! Selena! Well done for telling her!" Henry grinned as he ran forwards to give Regina a hug.

"Oh for goodness-" I muttered, throwing my hands up in the air. "Does everyone in this damn town know that I'm your daughter?" I shouted, turning to Regina.

"Selena, I don't understand-" Regina began.

"I do." Emma said quietly. All heads snapped in her direction, including my own.

"Do you?" I demanded, sarcasm evident in my voice.

"Yes, Selena, I do." She said calmly, approaching me. "You don't understand why you had to be the last to know. Why you, the person who is the subject of the topic, were in the dark for the longest time. And I bet you still feel like you are - just let me finish." She continued as I made signs of interruption. I nodded.

"You feel alone yet known. Like you don't even know who you are yet but everyone else does. Everyone else knew before you and you don't think that's fair. You already feel like an outsider and that bit of you that is telling you that you belong here is what you're trying so hard to ignore because belonging somewhere, that means no more running." Emma finished. I stared at her, knowing by how she uttered the last few lines so quietly and with such empathy that she had been through something similar.

"Yeah." I responded horsely, not knowing what else to say. She had said everything anyway.

"Selena, I-" Regina began, walking towards me.

"Forget it." I said shortly. "It doesn't matter. I'm used to being the last one to know things anyway."

"No, honey, please-" Regina almost begged, looking at me searchingly with her chocolate eyes which were exactly the same shade of brown as my own.

"Regina, it's okay. You needed help. You're the mayor. I should have expected it." I shrugged, trying not to let on how hurt I felt.

"It's not okay. But how else could it have happened?" Regina carried on, ignoring my obvious hints to drop it.

"I don't know! How about not abandoning me in a stable?" I shouted, and with that I stormed out of the flat, tears cascading down my cheeks in a mixture of fury, guilt and pain.

Regina POV

I stood shell shocked for a moment, Selena's words hitting me like a ton of bricks. Once I had overcome my moment of numbness, I immediately headed to the door, ready to run after Selena and explain. But a soft hand grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"Regina, let her go." Emma whispered.

"Let her go?" I cried incredulously, tears spilling down my cheeks now.

"I mean give her time. Kids like her - like us - we need that. We're used to being alone." Emma murmured, tears threatening to leak from her green eyes too. Hook immediately rushed over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, allowing her to bury her head into his chest. I smiled fleetingly. Seeing Emma happy made me happy but seeing them like that...well, it just reminded me all too much of Robin Hood. Shaking my head, I walked slowly over to the couch and sat down, feeling Henry slip his hand into mine a moment later.

"It's going to be okay, Mom. She'll come round." He whispered. I nodded. I couldn't let my son see me weak.

"You're right, my wise little owl." I chuckled. "She just needs time." I said, trying to convince myself more than him.

"Yeah, she just needs time." Emma agreed, sitting opposite me with Hook perched on the arm of her seat.

"What if she thinks I've abandoned her again?"

"She won't." Emma said firmly. "She wants to be alone right now. Just let her calm down."

"Aye, she sure does have your temper." Hook added. I glared at him, earning a fairly common reproachful look from Emma.

"Sorry." I muttered sarcastically, causing Henry and Killian to snort with laughter, Emma to give me another one of her looks and Mary Margaret to scold me ("Stop acting like a child, Regina"). I glared at her too, waving off Emma's look.

"What? She started it." I mumbled.

"Regina Mills." Emma scolded. "How old are you?"

"A lot bloody older than she looks." Hook smirked.

"I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me, Killian." I said, smiling sarcastically at him. He just laughed, causing me to try and hold back a grin. I enjoyed my argumentative relationship with the pirate and I was not about to give that up. No matter how many reproachful looks I got from his blonde girlfriend.

"Anyway, you were giving me some...stuff with Selena?" I enquired, looking towards Emma and knowing she would pick up on my lack of the word "help" or "advice."

"Is it really so hard for you to admit that you need me?" Emma smirked.

"Of course I need you, you're my best friend." I sighed, while Henry faked wiping a tear, Killian gasped in horror and Mary Margaret pretended to faint. "Now, carry on...and shut up!" I added after the laughter began to die down and Emma had finished clutching at her heart. She grinned at me.

"Alright. So, Selena needs time to think about all this. About that feeling inside her that knows this is where she belongs. When I first got that feeling, I tried so hard to run away from it, but..." She paused, smiling at Henry. "I had a reason to stay. And so does she." She turned to look back at me, her green eyes boring into my own. "Regina, she's angry, hurt and upset but you're her mother and she's found you. She's not going to leave." She finished, giving me a reassuring smile as Mary Margaret smiled at her from the kitchen.

"So I don't go after her?" I asked again, hoping for a different answer.

"Let me go after her." Henry declared suddenly, interrupting Emma before she could reply.

"You?" I asked incredulously. "Why?"

"I have the book." He shrugged. "Maybe I can make her believe."

Selena POV

I sat alone on a log somewhere in the forest, my shoes scuffing at the grass and tears spilling down my cheeks. I was glad Regina hadn't come after me, I needed some alone time. I felt bad, of course I did, but I knew from the looks I got from the other town residents on my way here that they all knew. I mean the counsellor here actually asked me if I wanted a session to help me "deal with the unexpected". I growled in frustration. Why did I always have to be the last to know everything? Now I just felt stupid, like the last person to catch onto a joke. And then there was that part of me that wanted to stay, the part of me that told me I belonged here. It was a strange feeling, nothing I had ever experienced before. It felt like...like I was part of a bigger picture. Like I had something in common with everyone else in this town but I didn't know what. And they did. I closed my eyes, allowing the tears to fall freely down my cheeks. I had probably just blown my last chance with my mother. She wouldn't want me after that. None of the the other ones did. And her friends, they'd think I was just a short-tempered loony. I groaned.

"You've really messed up now." I mumbled to myself.

"Nah, not really." Came a voice from behind me. I snapped around, expecting to see Regina or maybe like a kidnapper of something, but instead I saw Henry walking towards me with a fairly large rectangular book clutched against his chest.

"How did you-" I began confused. I was sitting in an isolated part of the forest and yet he managed to find me. And pretty quickly too, it seemed.

"Find you?" He asked as he took a seat next to me. "Because this is where Regina always goes when she wants to be alone." He grinned. "Here or her vault." He added.

"Her what?!"

"Ah...I'll explain." He said sheepishly. "But first..." He placed the book on my lap and grinned at me. "You need to read this."

"Read a book of fairytales?" I asked, my eyebrows raised as I read the title of the book (Once Upon A Time).

"It's not just a book of fairytales." He sighed.

"Let me guess...everything that's in this book actually happened?"

"Exactly!" He beamed.

I stared at him. "I was joking..."

"Well, you joked right." He laughed. "Go on! Just read it!" He persisted.

"Alright." I chuckled.

"Really?" He asked bewildered.

"Really."

"You like fairytales?" He asked as he moved closer to me.

"Course I do!"

"Which one's your favourite then?" He chuckled.

"I don't know, but I've always liked the villains. Weird, I know, but my favourite's always been the Evil Queen. You know, from Snow White?" I laughed as I flicked through the book.

He stared at me.

"Yeah, you're definitely her daughter." He mumbled.

I was still sitting on the damp log two hours later, reading the old brown book Henry had begged me to read. It wasn't your usual fairytales, either. Snow White was a bandit, Prince Charming had a twin, Rumpelstiltskin was in love with Belle...

"Hey." A soft voice said gently behind me. I knew who it was.

"Hey, Regina." I answered. She came over and sat herself down next to me, creasing out the wrinkles in her skirt as she did so.

"So, Henry got you to read the book, huh?" She asked, glancing over at it.

"Yeah." I muttered. I didn't know what to say. There hadn't been such a lack of conversation between us in the whole time that I'd known her. Which wasn't very long.

"Do you like it?" She asked, still not meeting my eyes.

"It's good." I replied. "Very different to your average fairytales."

"Indeed." She laughed. "Do you have a favourite story?"

"Well, in this book they're all kind of...mushed together, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. Let me guess, you absolutely detest the Evil Queen?" She asked with a sort of sad smile.

"I don't actually. She's probably my favourite." I shrugged. She stared at me.

"But she - but she killed so many people and tried to destroy Snow's happiness every chance she got and she -and she used people for her own means without repaying them..." She spluttered, her voice taking on the tone of confession. I frowned. Why did she feel so passionately about this anyway?

"She's just misunderstood. She lost her first love and wants revenge. But I don't think she would even have gone so far with her revenge on Snow if it hadn't been for her mother. And I don't mean killing Daniel, I mean the influence her mum had on her. She just wanted to make her proud. Or maybe revenge on Snow was another way of getting revenge on her mother." I defended. "Well, that's my perception of it, anyway." I added with a smile.

"You're right." She whispered. She looked at me then, straight into my eyes.

"Selena, I'm sorry." She began. I tried to interrupt her, to tell her she didn't have anything to be sorry for, but the words caught in my throat and I couldn't force them out. So she continued.

"I'm not used to this. I've always had to fight over Henry. I never wanted him out of my sight and I certainly didn't want him with Emma. But then I lost him. He was taken by two imbeciles and I had to get him back. And it was then that Emma and I agreed that we would have to share him. And we did. And now I have my son but I want my daughter and I couldn't keep it a secret, I mean Emma was the one who helped me find you and she obviously told her - I mean Mary Margaret and David. I had to tell Henry, he had a right to know. And everyone else in this town hears things. They have no sense of privacy." She said, anger starting to creep into her voice.

"It's okay, Regina." I said hoarsely. "I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have shouted. I just...I just lost it."

"Selena, please. You don't need to apologise. I should have told you first, or I should have told you that everyone else knew." She frowned. "Not that I can help that bit."

I giggled. "It's not your fault. You are mayor. I guess everyone just knows what's going on in your life."

"You have no idea." She mumbled.

I laughed. "You're somewhat of a celebrity, huh?"

"I guess so." She chuckled.

"I think I'm gonna go for a hug now." She announced a minute later.

"And I don't think I'm gonna stop you." I laughed. She smiled at me then and pulled me into her chest, wrapping her arms me while I buried my head in her neck.

"I'm sorry." She whispered again.

"Don't be." I said as I pulled away, giving her a small smile which she returned with elation.

"So." She started, giving me a playful nudge. "How does finding out everything sound?"


	16. The Whole Truth

Selena POV

So, Regina and I are about to embark on a journey to reveal the truth, or that's what she called it anyway. I called it my right to know, but there you go.

"Where are we going?" I asked as I quickened my pace to try and keep up with her. For a woman in heels she walked fast.

"Back to Emma's." She replied.

"Back to- but I-they're all going to think-" I panicked. She stopped walking then and turned to face me, placing her hands gently on my shoulders.

"They're going to think you're a wonderful young girl who had every right to get angry. They won't be judging you at all. Trust me." She smiled, a knowing glint appearing in her eyes.

"I hope you're right." I groaned.

"I'm always right. I'm your mother." She laughed. I rolled my eyes with a grin and walked briskly away from her.

"Hey! Wait up!" She called.

"Nope."

"Selena!"

"Well, I'm always gonna be a rebel. I'm your daughter." I smirked over my shoulder.

Regina knocked on Emma's door for the second time that day, smiling reassuringly at me as she did so.

"Hey." Emma said quietly as she opened the door.

"Hey." I mumbled.

"Come in." She said, standing back to allow us to pass.

Regina reached back and squeezed my arm as we walked into the apartment while Henry grinned at me from the sofa.

I cleared my throat. "Um..." I started as everyone turned to look at me. "I'm sorry for yelling at all of you." I announced to the room, a crimson flush erupting on my cheeks. "I was just..." I couldn't find the words.

"It's okay, sweetheart." Mary Margret said softly, coming to my rescue.

"Yeah, don't worry about it, Selena. You don't even need to apologise." Emma shrugged, giving me a lopsided grin.

"Aye, your mum sure had it coming." Killian winked as Regina glared at him and everyone else chuckled.

"And I don't know what you're talking about." David announced. I laughed.

"I was just as bad when Emma first got here." Henry shrugged, a small blush blooming on his cheeks too but Regina, tutting like a mother, hurried over to him and took his hands.

"Don't be stupid." She said simply, making me wonder what had really happened and whether I would ever find out. Or whether I would always be somewhat of an outsider.

"Anyway." Regina said, coming back over to me before turning to face the others. "I think it's time we tell her everything."

"Yeah, I think it probably is." Emma agreed.

"So, you're telling me, that Mary Margaret is Snow White, David is Prince Charming, Emma is their daughter and also the Saviour, Killian is Captain Hook and my mother is the Evil Queen?" I summarised, the lack of belief evident in my voice as Killian waved his hook at me, Mary Margaret and David gave me a small smile, Emma looked at the floor sheepishly, Henry gestured towards my book and Regina just stared at me.

"I know it's a lot to take in, but it is true." Emma said. "I was in your position once too. I didn't believe a thing until I saw magic for my own eyes. Maybe that's what you need." She said, looking towards Regina.

"Are you sure?" Regina asked Emma who simply nodded.

"Alright, Selena. Check this out." And with that, she spun her hand anti-clockwise and the fire in the fireplace roared as it grew higher and higher.

"Coincidence." I shrugged although inside my heart was beating 100 times faster.

"Fine." She said and spun her hand again, this time clockwise and the coffee table in front of us began to hover about 30 cm above the ground. I stared at it, my mind trying to comprehend what I was seeing.

"That's not-that's not possible." I whispered.

"It's magic." Regina replied, trying for a smile.

"It's lunacy!" I declared before jumping to my feet. "How can-how can this be real? It can't be!" I spluttered as Emma came forwards and placed her hands on my shoulders.

"Selena, listen." She said as she looked searchingly into my eyes. "I know it doesn't seem possible, but it is. I couldn't believe it either but I had to. Henry was about to die and the only way to save him was to fight a dragon, who's actually Maleficent by the way, and retrieve a bottle of true love put there by my father on Rumpelstilskin - Mr Gold's - orders." I stared at her. She was mad.

"Anyway, I got it and Regina was meant to be manning the lift but Gold had tied her up and he stole it. We were too late. Henry was dead." She continued, her voice dropping.

"You're crazy." I decided.

"No, I'm not. Anyway, he was... He was gone before I kissed him and he came back." She stumbled, giving Henry a watery smile.

"True love's kiss." David offered, glancin at Mary Margaret.

"True love's kiss?"I scoffed.

"Yes." David frowned, looking offended.

"Oh. Um, that's a thing?" I asked sheepishly.

"Yeah, it's a thing." Regina said, speaking for the first time in a while as she stared at the ground.

"So, does someone want to tell me why you all have different names then? If you're all from the Enchanted Forest or whatever you call it."

"You've already read why." Henry stated simply. "In the book."

"That stuff with Snow White and Prince Charming putting their kid in a tree?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

"That's me." Emma waved.

I sighed. "You did not come through a tree."

"Did too."

"Impossible."

"Nope, not impossible. Just magic." Emma grinned as I began to get frustrated. Was this just some mental cover story Regina had made up so I wouldn't blame her for leaving me?

"Okay, fine. Say magic does exist, it still doesn't explain why you abandoned me." I said, turning directly to Regina.

"I can explain." She sighed.

"Please do."

"Sit down, first."

"Regina-"

"Sit down." She demanded. I raised my eyebrows in shock. That was the first time she'd ever used anything but a calm tone with me. Or second. Maybe third. I shrugged and plopped myself down next to her.

"Actually, let's go to Emma's room." Regina decided.

"Regina!" I moaned.

"What? We need privacy!" She said indignantly before grabbing my hand and pulling me to my feet as I rolled my eyes in annoyance but inside, a small flicker of happiness fluttered inside of me as I experienced another small incident that came with having a mother.

"This is a truly heart warming moment." Killian sniffed, pretending to wipe a tear from his cheek. Emma shook her head with a smile as she mouthed an apology and swatted Killian's head playfully.

"Come on." Regina muttered. "We don't have time for the Handless Wonder's pitiful attempts at a joke." She said, her voice rising. I laughed as Regina turned to grin at me.

"Emma." Regina called as we approached the door to her room. "Call Mr Gold round, will you?"

Emma stared up at her. "Are you sure?"

"I think she'll want to see him." Regina replied simply.

"Alright." Emma sighed. "I'll be here if you need me."

"Thank you." Regina smiled at her before she tightened her grip on my hand and pulled me into the room, leaving the door to snap shut behind her.

"I want to know about my father." I demanded as soon as we got into the room. She smiled sadly at me.

"Well then, this is the story of how you were born." She said as she came and sat next to me on the bed. I waited for her to continue.

"Where I come from, the Enchanted Forest, I was a princess, the daughter of King Henry and Queen Cora. Cora, my mother, was a...strict woman. She didn't want me to be myself, she wanted me to have the life she couldn't have. She had been a miller's daughter, you see-"

"Wait." I interrupted. "The Miller's Daughter? As in from Rumpelstiltskin?"

She stared at me.

"Yes, I suppose so."

I shook my head in wonder. Could all this possibly be true? It didn't sound like it had been made up. But could I be sure that it wasn't some cruel joke? "Carry on." I said nevertheless.

"Right. My mother had to go through a lot in order to become Queen, including dealings with Rumpelstiltskin, yes. She wanted me to be a Queen. Wouldn't rest until I was. That's why she named me Regina, as in Queen. And so, everything I did, I only did because she approved of it. And even then she criticised every thing I did. Anyway, she had magic and she used it against me to make me fear her, to make me do her bidding. It hurt but there was nothing I could do. But there was one person other than my father who was on my side. His name was Daniel, he was the stable boy and I loved him with all my heart. Our relationship was completely secret as we stole kisses between meals and rode to the top of the hill which was our secret meeting place. We were so in love. But one day, when we were on the top of the hill, a young girl on a stray horse galloped by, screaming for help. I jumped straight onto my own horse and saved her and she told me her name was Snow White."

"Mary Margaret?" I asked in shock.

"Indeed. Snow was ten then and so she told her father, who immediately came to my palace and asked for my hand in marriage. I couldn't accept, I was in love with Daniel. But my mother accepted on my behalf. I could do nothing else but run to Daniel and tell him of my fate and tell him to marry me so we could run away together. And he did. He slipped a ring onto my finger and kissed me like he had never kissed me before. Just then though, Snow walked into the stable, saw us and ran off to tell her father. I panicked and ran after her, reached her and told her the meaning of true love and how I loved Daniel. She understood but I had to make her promise not to tell anyone. Especially not my mother."

"She broke her promise, didn't she?" I whispered.

"Yes, she broke her promise. She told my mother Daniel and I were planning to run away together. And so my mother came barging into the barn, tricked Daniel and I into believing she blessed the marriage and then ripped his heart out where he stood, right in front of me." Tears were spilling down her cheeks now as she fingered her wedding finger. I presumed she was remembering the ring Daniel had given her.

"She ripped - she ripped his heart out?" I gasped.

"Yes. Anyway, I was forced to marry Snow's father and become Queen, much to my disgust. I didn't belong there. He didn't care about me. Three weeks later, however, I discovered I was pregnant with Daniel's child. Panicking and not wanting Leopold to believe it was his, I sought out a sorcerer, someone who could conceal the bump. And I found Rumpelstiltskin, who later became my magic teacher. He used magic to conceal the bump for me so that anyone who looked at me would be unable to see it. Eight months later and I had given birth to a beautiful baby girl." She paused then and smiled at me, tears threatening to leak from her eyes again as I gave her a small smile.

"I knew I couldn't raise the child in the palace, not without Leopold being the father and so I planned to run away. To find an isolated place in which I could bring you up and be the mother you deserved.. But it didn't work out that way. Rumpelstiltskin and my mother had concocted a plan which would - would take you away from me." She continued, her voice beginning to crack. I placed my hand on her arm, a silent encouragement.

"So on the evening of your birth, he appeared in my room and took you from my arms. Crying, I begged him to let me have you, to send me with you to this land without magic which was his plan. But he refused, telling me he needed me here. I tried to fight him but my magic was nowhere near powerful enough. He took you." She said, crying properly now. I edged closer awkwardly, not knowing whether or not to take her hand.

"I only had time to scribble your name down hastily on a piece of paper and put it with your blanket. When I did that, however, I enchanted you."

"You what?" I yelped, springing away from her. She looked at me, hurt evident on her face but not shock. She must have known I'd reacted like this.

"Enchanted you. I put a spell on you to ensure that you wouldn't start ageing until the day I gave up looking for you and that you would be protected from sight until that day. So in some ways, you were sort of frozen in time."

"How long have I been on Earth?" I whispered.

"Selena-"

"How long?" I yelled.

She looked guiltily at me. "Forty years perhaps."

"Forty years." I repeated, shocked.

"I'm sorry. But I wanted to be your mother and finding you as a baby would be the best way to do that."

I nodded. In some ways, it seemed like the kindest thing to do.

"Anyway, Rumpelstiltskin wanted me to cast the Dark Curse, the curse that brought everyone here, to Storybrooke. And I agreed, partly for revenge on Snow and for my own victory, but mostly for you. I knew you had been sent to this land and I thought by casting this curse, I would be able to reach you. And so I cast the curse and ended up here, with a hole in my heart that could only be filled by a child. For 18 years I was alone, trying to find you. But I couldn't. It almost felt like there was something blocking you from me. And so, I decided to adopt Henry so I could fill that gaping hole in my heart. The day I did, however, was the day the spell I cast on you broke and you began to age because it saw me adopting Henry as giving up on finding you. Which was not true, of course."

I nodded again. "Somehow, I believe you." I said aloud, knowing as I said it that I meant every word. The emotion and depth behind her voice couldn't possible be a lie.

"You do?" She asked disbelievingly.

"I do. What happened next?"

"Well, you know most of it. On her 28th birthday, Emma came to Storybrooke and broke my curse. We were enemies for years before we became friends and Emma became set on finding me my happy ending. It was then, this year I mean, that she found the article about you. And so I came to England, and, well, you know the rest." She finished.

"How did Emma find the article but you couldn't for more than 28 years?" I frowned.

"I'd like to know the same thing." She replied. "Although I do believe that is a question for Mr Gold."

"Rumpelstilskin?"

"Yes." She smiled, obviously pleased that I seemed to be believing her. Despite believing her, I still wanted proof. So I kept pressing her.

"Why isn't this story in the book?" I questioned. "Emma's is."

"Because no-one knew about you." Regina replied simply. "But as Henry is the new author, I'm sure he'll add it in." She smiled.

"The new author? What does that mean?"

She laughed. "It's a long story and I have a lot to tell you before we get to that point."

"Fair enough." I grinned.

"Any more questions?" She asked.

"A ton." I groaned, falling back onto the bed.

"Well, please go-"

The door burst open suddenly and Emma popped her head round.

"Regina, Gold's downstairs."

"Ah, Selena." Mr Gold smiled as he stood up to greet me.

"Mr Gold." I said stiffly, ignoring his outstretched hand, causing him to smirk at me.

"Mr Gold? I haven't been addressed so politely for a long time." He mused.

"Don't get used to it." Regina growled behind me.

"Sit down, sit down." Gold gestured to the sofas after smiling wryly at Regina.

"This isn't your house, Gold." Mary Margaret piped in.

"Of course not." He smiled as he sat down, resting his cane against the sofa. I sat down too, Regina sitting next to me.

"I have questions." I declared.

"I'm sure you do." He replied smoothly.

"Right...well, first off, I want to know why Regina couldn't find me but Emma could."

"That, dearie, is irrelevant."

"Not to us, it isn't." Regina snapped.

Gold laughed humourlessly and dipped his head. "Fine. Emma could find your daughter because she's the Saviour. It's her job to find everyone's happy endings and Selena is a big part of yours." He said in a matter-of-fact tone. I nodded. It was good enough for me. But apparently not for Regina.

"There's more to it than that. I know there is." She pressed.

"What ever do you mean, dearie?"

"It was like the answer kept slipping away from me. Like it was in my hand but I couldn't grasp it. It felt like...like magic." She said narrowly, glaring at Gold.

"Hmm...well, Cora did enchant her so you'd never find her-"

"SHE DID WHAT?" Regina yelped as she jumped to her feet.

"Stopped you from finding Selena." He said smoothly.

"And you- and you helped her?" Regina asked, now trembling with rage.

He shrugged. "It was in my best interest at the time."

"In your best interests?" She seethed. "Who gives a damn about your best bloody interests?!" Regina screamed. I just stared at her. I had never seen her so angry.

"Me." He said simply.

"Why, you twisted little imp, I'll-" Regina growled moving towards him. I jumped up and grabbed her arm, Emma doing the same with her right.

"Regina, stop." Emma said loudly.

"But he-he..." Regina shouted, stumbling slightly due to her anger.

"I know." Emma said soothingly. "But there are other ways to get revenge." Regina turned slowly to look at her, ignoring Gold's smug face.

"Well, however true that may be Swan, I think I'll get a bit of my revenge right now." She said sweetly before turning around to glare at Gold again.

"Regina." I said softly. She froze and gazed down at me. "Regina, not now." I muttered.

"Selena, this man is-" She began.

"I know what he is. But we need answers and he won't give them to us if you blast him with a fireball or something." I argued.

She sighed. "Fine. But only because you asked me to." She sat down suddenly then and resumed glaring daggers at Gold.

"Well." Gold said pleasantly. "She certainly didn't get her her wise streak from you."

Regina growled low in her throat, sounding like a lion about to pounce. I placed my hand gently on her arm and felt her relax slightly but her gaze on Gold never wavered.

"We're not done." I said curtly.

"No, I didn't think we were. Please do go on." He smiled.

"I want proof." I said quickly.

"Proof?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. "Whatever do you mean?"

"I...I want you to show me. I want you to show me what happened." I said, my voice wavering slightly with both fear and guilt as I glanced at Regina's face.

"Selena...I thought you believed me?" She said quietly.

"I do!" I said hastily. "I just want someone to show me."

"Why can't I?" She asked, still frowning.

"Because only he was there for everything."

"What do you mean?" She asked again. "He wasn't with me while I was pregnant."

"I have a feeling he was watching." I said wryly. We both turned to face Gold expectantly.

He just carried on smiling. "Like I said, she didn't get her wise streak from you."

Regina sat frozen, seething in her seat, apparently too furious to move.

"You were watching." She said slowly.

"Indeed I was, dearie." He smiled.

"I'm going to - I'm going to kill you." She said quietly, no humour in her voice.

"Regina!" Mary Margaret exclaimed.

"Shut it, princess." Regina snapped. I stared at her. How had she changed so quickly?

"Regina." David said warningly, getting to his feet.

"Sorry, Charming, did I hurt poor ickle Snow's feelings?" Regina asked mockingly, her eyes snapping up to meet his. Emma rose to her feet, glaring at Regina while Henry met my gaze with a worried look.

"Regina, stop." Emma said.

"Yes, dearie. You're not setting a very good example for your kids, now are you?" Gold smirked.

"Talk to me about my children again and I will rip your heart out where you stand." Regina growled, moving towards him. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. This was my mother?

"Now I can see you as the Evil Queen." I said quietly. Regina turned to stare at me, the anger draining from her face and shock, guilt and sadness replacing it.

"Selena, I-" She began.

"Not even the Evil Queen." I said loudly. "Just another bully."


	17. A Nasty Encounter

Regina POV

I stood frozen as Selena slammed the front door shut behind her, my mouth open in shock and my eyes filling with tears. "Just another bully." Her words echoed around my mind, reminding me of the villain I used to be. And would never stop being. I dropped to my knees then, burying my head in my hands as I let the tears fall.

"Regina." Emma said softly beside me. "Regina, it's okay."

"No, it's not." I sobbed. "She thinks I'm a monster."

"Aren't you?" Came a sneering voice. Gold. I growled, my features changing quickly into ones of anger as I looked slowly up at him.

"Get out." I snarled.

"Now, now, Regina, calm down. You've already lost one child, you don't need to lose another one too."

I felt the rage before I had acknowledged it. Before I knew it, I had pounced on him, my hands wrapped tightly around his neck as his face grew redder and redder as the seconds went on, his veins squirming under my fingers like worms in a grave.

"You're the monster." I growled as he choked beneath me, unable to use his magic as I had pinned him so securely down.

"Regina, stop!" Yelled several voices around me. I ignored them. Just then, strong arms wrapped tightly around my waist and pulled me away from him, Emma's pleas to stop echoing in my ears.

"YOU'RE THE MONSTER!" I screamed as David yanked me completely away from him, shouting at me to calm down as Mary Margaret and Emma rushed to Gold's aid, Killian rushed over to Henry and Henry himself sat shell shocked at the scene unfolding before him. I looked at him, saw the hurt and anxiety on his face. He had never himself seen me like this. I had never tried to kill his grandfather in front of him. Not literally, anyway. I stopped screaming. I thought of Selena and the horror in how she had looked at me. I stopped fighting David. I thought of Daniel and his beautiful smile, always reminding me of where I belonged. And Selena had his smile. I turned around then and buried my head in David's neck, tears slipping down my cheeks as I sobbed into his skin. He hesitated; I could feel his shock at my change in emotion. But soon, his arms had wrapped tightly around me as he held me while I cried for the monster I would always be. I couldn't bring myself to look at Gold. Couldn't bare to see his smug face. Through my tears all I could see was the faint outline of the door behind her. When I closed my eyes, however, flashes of my life as the Evil Queen swam before me and images of Selena and Henry, Daniel and Robin, Emma and my father, Mary Margaret and David, swam before me like fish being hunted by the shark that was the Evil Queen. The shark that would never change, no matter how hard she tried.

I heard the front door slam and knew Gold had been forced out, I heard murmurs and whispers from everyone else in the apartment but I concentrated on David's calming words. Finally, after I could cry no more, I released him but still couldn't bare to meet Henry's eyes. I heard Emma asking me if I was okay. Felt her rub my arm reassuringly as she lead me over to the sofa where she sat me down gently. I felt David's weight dropping down next to me and his arm wrapping tightly around my shoulders. I shook my head.

"Henry." I choked.

"It's okay, he's with Killian." Emma responded softly.

"No." I choked again. "He needs a mother."

I could feel Emma's penetrating gaze on my head, trying to figure out what kind of ugly thoughts were cutting down every stand of happiness I had, like a lawnmower cutting down grass. Finally, she stood up from her position on my left, gave my shoulder one last reassuring squeeze and left. David smiled softly at me and moved over to where Mary Margaret sat. Before I knew it, however, another strong arm had wrapped around my shoulders as I felt a weight larger than Emma's drop beside me.

"It's alright, love. He doesn't blame you." Killian whispered. I nodded, unable to respond. Henry would always understand. He had the upbringing of a villian but parents who were heroes. He would always be my son. But Selena...she barely knew me. I had to find her. I had to make things right.

"Selena." I croaked.

"She's gone." Killian said softly and I couldn't help but be slightly shocked at the kindness in his voice. Maybe we were friends after all.

"I need to find her, Hook." I said, finally looking up as I met his piercing blue eyes.

"Aye, that you do." He agreed. "I'll come with you." He added as I started to get up.

"No. I need to do this myself. I need to - I need to explain." I said, beginning to choke up again. He dipped his head in agreement, extending a hand to help me up. I released him as my eyes found Henry's and I started towards him. He smiled softly at me as I sat down and took one of his hands in my own.

"I'm sorry." I whispered.

"It's okay, Mom." He said before wrapping his arms around me. I smiled sadly as I looked over his head to see Emma giving me a small grin.

"Go to her." She mouthed. I nodded.

"Henry, honey, I need to find her." I said as I stroked his hair. He pulled away and nodded.

"She doesn't understand everything yet, Mom. But she will."

"I hope so." I sighed.

"Want me to come with?" Emma asked, although I knew she already knew the answer.

"No thanks, Swan." I sighed. "I got myself into this mess and now I've got to get myself out."

"Well, you better get a move on then, hadn't you, love?" Killian winked.

And I did.

Selena POV

I stuffed my hands angrily in my pockets as I marched down the quiet Storybrooke streets, my eyes brimming with tears and my cheeks red from the biting wind. My mother really was the Evil Queen. And not only that, she was ready to kill a man. Who can say that their mother, who've they've searched for their entire lives, is actually a fairytale character and on top of that, she's a killer? How was I meant to live with that? If we were going to have this relationship, I needed time to get used to this. All of this. I passed the usually busy Grannie's just as Ruby declared the shop 'CLOSED'. She smiled when she saw me and gave me a quick wave and as I returned it, all I could think about was what fairytale character she was. Ruby...as in Red...as in Red Riding Hood? I shook my head roughly. This was insane! I couldn't be going around wondering what fairytale character each town citizen was! I groaned. This was all too much. I needed some space. Somewhere Regina or anyone else wouldn't think to come and find me. Out of town.

I could see the sign that marked the edge of Storybrooke getting closer and closer with every step I took. I knew Regina would be out looking for me by now, especially as it was nearly dark, but I also knew the first place she'd check was her house or the forest as I knew Henry would tell her that's where I had gone before. And, of course, that's where she would have gone.

I was only a few metres away from the town line now. You'll be back, I told myself reassuringly. And I would be. I just needed some time with normal people. I sighed. How I had my life become so complicated so quickly?

Two metres away now. The sun had begun it's usual decent through the soft clouds and towering buildings, leaving an orange haze in it's wake. I remembered the small cafe not far from the edge of town and decided I would head their first, just to make sure I had warmth and light before the sun had completely set.

One metre away. I could hear the distant humming of cars and the muffled voices coming from the town behind me. I frowned. I thought I had heard the distinct sounds of wings cutting through the air. But how could that be possible? Birds don't have enough wind power in order to actually make me hear them. Then again, I do have pretty awesome hearing. I shook my head again. It wasn't possible, not unless Pterodactyls were still alive in this mental town. Then again, who knows?

I was at the town line. I stopped, just as I was about to step over it and glanced behind me, making sure there was no-one watching. They would run off and tell Regina as she was the mayor after all. Or the Evil Queen. I smacked myself on the head hard. I couldn't think like that! I had to push this mental fairytale stuff out of my already jam packed mind. I sighed and thrust my foot out again, ready to escape the nonsense.

I heard the monster before I saw it. The same sound of flapping wings and oppressed air filled my ears before my eyes found the monster behind the unrest. The first thing I thought of was a giant monkey, with its grubby black fur, shark like teeth and manic red eyes glowing in the darkness and the almost human like form of its body. But from his shoulders sprouted two wings the size of the thing's body, their bony structure making them look even more sinister and foreboding. I pushed out a scream, my legs already carrying me back towards the town but the flying monkey was close on my tail. I could hear it snarling as it approached it's prey and I could feel it's hot breath tickling my neck. I headed right, towards the forest, thinking I could trick the thing in there and make it out alive. Even in my own head it sounded stupid. But I had nothing else and so I made a sharp right, the wind cutting mercilessly through my raw skin. The monster shrieked at the sudden change in direction and couldn't change fast enough to follow me straight away, but as expected, it caught on pretty quickly. It re-asserted itself and flew towards me again, beating it's heavy wings with even more fury. I made it into the forest. I ran through the army of trees, dodging stray roots and leaping over logs. I knew the monster had caught it's wings on a branch as I heard a loud screech emitting from it. The sound was so awful I had to press my own hands over my ears as I carried on my escape.

As I began to believe I could make it, two claws pressed into the soft skin at my shoulders, pushing me down onto the muddy forest floor and causing me to scream in pain. I felt the blood from my wounds slip down my back, leaving me sticky with blood and aching for freedom. I felt the thing sit on me, its weight crushing my back and its claws still pressing into the wounds it had already made. I lay there in the mud gasping for air, the weight of the monster forcing the air to evade me. As I felt the dirt fly up my nose and into my mouth as I struggled to breathe, I caught sight of a jagged rock lying peacefully in front of me. Biting my tongue to stop myself from crying out as I felt the wound on my shoulder rip, I reached out and curled my hand around the rock, a small flicker of hope appearing inside of me when I did. Without hesitation, I flung my arm backwards with a scream of both pain and fury and felt the rock make contact with the creature's eye. It let out a howl so loud someone from miles outside town could hear it. I smiled faintly, hoping then someone from town would come to my aid. But my victory was short lived. The monster had forced me onto my back so now I felt the mud and dirt enter my wounds as I stared into those glowing red eyes that were so alive with anger and hunger. I let out one last scream and as I did so, I saw the monster lowering his head so fast I knew it was over. But just before I knew death was coming, I felt a sudden rush of warmth and adrenaline. A sort of fiery feeling erupting within me that was crashing towards my fingertips. I wanted to scream, to let loose a cry that would release this sudden burst of power, when, obscuring my vision, a ball of light smashed into the side of it's face, causing it to roll off me and into the dirt. His pain only continued as another sphere of victory crashed into its side and it howled in pain once more. I scrambled to my feet and limped towards the nearest tree, the wounds the claws had made in my leg only too fresh and the surge of strength I had felt just seconds before disappearing instantly. Before the third orb of flame had even hit it's target, the monster erupted into a pile of ash with an ear-piercing scream. If it hadn't had tried to kill me, I would almost have felt bad for it.

I looked around for my saviour, wincing as the rips in my back only opened further. I looked further into the darkness and saw a black figure running towards me, shouting words that I couldn't understand. My vision started to go blurry and the darkness and light began to merge into one while the figure got closer and closer, close enough for me to just make out who it was. I stumbled towards them, trying to stop myself from succumbing to the darkness but the floor was rising to meet me and before I could take another step, the awaiting darkness rolled over me, taking me to it's black abyss.


	18. A Fresh Startwith a Sprinkle of Magic

Selena POV

I awoke to the smell of fresh linen and lemon soap, my skin stinging and my chestnut hair and sleepy eyes obscuring my sight. Through my hazy vision I saw the same figure who had saved me dabbing at my head with a damp cloth, her dark hair resting gently upon her shoulders. I opened my eyes fully and the figure came into focus, her chocolate brown eyes lighting up as I met them.

"Good morning, sweetheart." Regina whispered. I groaned in response as I struggled to sit up, the aching of my cuts all too noticeable.

"Don't try to sit up." She advised, pushing me gently back down onto the bed.

"I want to." I winced. She sighed but positioned the pillow behind me to act as a head rest before gently slipping her hands under my arms and pulling me into a sitting position.

"Thanks." I mumbled. She just smiled and edged closer towards me, still dabbing at my face with the cool cloth.

"How long have I been like this?" I asked, my throat dry and my voice cracking.

"Oh, not long. It's only the next day."

I nodded. That was one good thing at least.

"And those...those flying monkey things...what are they?" I croaked.

"Exactly what you said." Regina stated, fury blazing in her eyes. "Flying monkeys."

"You know who sent them, don't you?" I asked, knowing from the look in her eyes that I was right. She glanced at me, worry evident in her attempt at a smile.

"Doesn't matter. What matters is whether you're alright." She said simply, stroking my cheek with the back of her hand. I flinched, not knowing how to react. She had still tried to kill someone, even if she had saved my life. She saw my reluctance and sighed, tears pricking at her eyes once more.

"Selena, what happened with Gold..." She began.

"Yes, what did happen with Gold?" I asked steely, regaining my defensive persona.

"Listen, that wasn't me. The person you saw back there was a glimpse of the Evil Queen and - " she said quickly, her words tumbling out of her now.

"And that's who you are!" I cut in angrily.

"No, Selena. That's who I used to be. I was the Evil Queen for a long time but I am trying to change, I really am. If you had known me before, not just as the Evil Queen but the person I was before the curse was broken, you would see the monster I had been, the monster who will always be a part of me. And that monster will not go down without a fight but I am trying my best to throw the punches and sometimes, sometimes I'm just not quick enough to avoid one in return. Changing...changing is not an easy thing to do, not when you've been made this way because of what you've been through. But I am trying, Selena. Can you accept that?" She implored, looking into my eyes searchingly as if she could find forgiveness and acceptance hidden in the eyes that were almost identical to her own. I stared back at her, my mind racing. How could I not forgive her when she was trying to change? What kind of a person did that make me? And she was being so honest with me...

"Of course." I whispered. "And I want to be here for you while you do."

Her face lit up with happiness as she heard my words and she leapt forward to envelope me in a hug, stopping at the last moment when she remembered my wounds. I laughed at her expression; she looked like a deer caught in the headlights and at that moment, I knew we had mutually agreed to a fresh start. An honest start.

She grinned at me and squeezed my hand and, as I let out a small wince, she jumped back with a scream.

"What is it?" I yelped.

"I can heal you!" She exclaimed. "I can't believe I forgot to ask you..." She continued, smacking herself on the forehead with the palm of her hand.

"Woah, woah, woah. That really isn't necessary." I laughed as I grabbed her wrist and pulled it away from her face.

"Yes it is! I can heal you with magic but only...only if you want me to." She said softly now. "I didn't want to do it without your consent, it wouldn't be fair."

"I'd like you to." I said gently and I knew from the look on her face that she understood that I accepted her for who she was and had accepted the world I was now a part of. But I still wanted a reminder.

"Just...leave one." I decided.

"Why?" She frowned.

"So I always have something to remind me that all of this is real and I have to keep being strong, because this, this is a dangerous world."

She stared at me for a while, her eyes displaying so many emotions that I couldn't possible read them all. However, I did catch a hint of something like pride. And love.

"You're really something special, you know that?" She said finally.

"And 50% of that is thanks to you." I winked.

"I take full credit." She replied proudly, placing her hand on her heart. "Now, are you ready?" She added.

I nodded and she began, the purple glow flowing from her fingertips relieving my pain.

I awoke once more to a fresh citrus smell and the image of Regina fast asleep next to me. I smiled. She hadn't left my side the entire time. Gently so as not to wake her, I slipped out from under her arm and prepared to go to the bathroom so I could clean up a bit. However, as I soon as I flung my legs over the side of the bed, my foot made contact with a safety pin causing me to let out an involuntary yelp of pain and Regina to spring out of bed and conjure up a fire ball.

"Who is it? Who's there?" She shouted.

"Regina! It's just me!" I winced. Her alert eyes found me and, smiling sheepishly, she extinguished her ball of flame and headed over to me.

"Sorry." She mumbled. "Reflex."

I half laughed, half winced and her concerned face immediately made a reappearance as she set me gently back down on the bed and tucked the blankets back under my chin.

"Just ask me if you want something, okay?" She said kindly.

"But I'm cured now." I moaned.

"You're still under bed rest." She declared.

"But - " I began.

"No buts."

I sighed.

"Selena?" She asked after a comfortable silence.

"Hmm?"

"Who do you think sent those flying monkeys?" She asked, getting up onto one elbow so she could see me properly while I turned my head so I could see her.

"Umm..." I said frowning.

"Guess." She persisted.

"Alright, but it's probably wrong."

"Doesn't matter."

"Okay...well...the only person I know with flying monkeys is the Wicked Witch of the West but that's - " I laughed.

"Correct." She confirmed. I stared at her.

"She's real too?" I asked disbelievingly, raising my eyebrows as I did so.

"Coming from the daughter of the Evil Queen." Regina chuckled, her eyes sparkling. (AN: Just had to put in a Hook reference ;) )

"Fair enough." I laughed.

"And she's my half sister." Regina added quickly.

"She - she what?" I spluttered.

"She's my half sister. Your aunt." Regina mused.

"But isn't she...you know?" I hinted.

"Wicked? Yeah, she is." Regina agreed.

"No, I mean...green." I whispered, a small blush appearing on my cheeks. Regina just threw back her head and laughed. And laughed. And kept on laughing.

"It's not that funny!" I said defensively, a small grin playing on my lips.

"That - that was my reaction too." She gasped between laughs.

"Well, you are my mother." I grinned. Regina looked at me and I could tell from the sparkle in her eye and the glistening of tears that she was overwhelmed with joy at me simply stating she was my mother. I wondered how she'd react if I actually called her Mum or something.

"That's right, I am." She said softly as I smiled fleetingly at her.

"Anyway..." I said confused. "Why is your half sister attacking the town when you're in it? Isn't she afraid she'll hurt you?"

Regina let out a bark like laugh then. "Quite the opposite. She's doing this because she wants to hurt me."

I stared at her. "But...why?" I asked eventually.

"Because Cora gave her up and kept me." Regina shrugged.

"So she wants to kill you because of something that isn't even your fault?" I said, still aghast.

"Not kill me, no. What she wants is to destroy my happiness and leave me broken, alone and in an unimaginable amount of pain." Regina said simply.

"Wonderful." I mumbled.

"Quite." Regina laughed.

"But you know what the most worrying thing of all is?" She asked, suddenly serious.

"What?"

"She's supposed to be dead."

"She's supposed to be what now?" I repeated, shock evident in my expression.

"Dead." Regina said simply.

"Right." I mumbled.

"Sorry." Regina said, snapping out of her thoughts. "I'll explain."

"Yeah, please do." I sighed, tired of how many times I had to say that phrase.

"Zelena was trying to make time travel work so that Cora would never give her up, but before she could succeed she needed Mary Margaret and David's baby - "

"She wanted Neal?" I cried aghast.

"She's twisted." Regina confirmed. "Anyway, we went to stop her but Emma, who's meant to be the only one who can stop her because of her light magic, couldn't because Zelena stole it. So, I managed to get some light magic of my own and stop her, but instead of killing her, I put her in a cell. The next morning, she was gone and the security tapes showed she had killed herself." Regina finished.

"Blimey." I muttered.

"Indeed. Anyway, apparently she's not dead so - "

"Maybe someone else is controlling the flying monkeys?" I suggested.

"Maybe." Regina shrugged. "But it's unlikely. They only do her bidding."

"Why?"

"She manufactured them."

"Right."

"Sorry, this must be a bit of an overload." Regina said sheepishly.

"After finding out my mother is the Evil Queen, I can handle anything." I reassured her with a grin. But my insides were in knots, my mind was racing and I had never been more lost.

"Are you sure?" She asked, apparently not convinced by my front.

"Positive." I smiled. However, although all of this was troubling me, there was one thing that was troubling me the most. What was the feeling I had experienced when facing the flying monkey? And why had I seen a purple haze surrounding my hands just before I blacked out? I gulped. I needed to find out, no matter how much I hated and feared letting people in.

"There's, um, one thing that's worrying me." I admitted.

"Only one thing?" Regina asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Well, one main thing." I laughed.

"Go on." She smiled, evidently pleased that I was confiding in her.

"Well...in that moment before the flying monkey would have killed me, I felt this weird kind of sensation take over my body." I paused, looking up to observe Regina's reaction. She was gazing at me intently, her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes betraying her concern...although I was sure I could sense some pride.

"Anyway." I continued. "This feeling kind of took over my body and I felt like I needed to explode and like let this thing out so it could destroy the flying monkey. But before I could, your fireball hit it and the feeling disappeared." I finished, blushing slightly at my outburst but also feeling as if a weight had been lifted from my chest.

"Interesting." She murmured, taking my hands in her own and examining them.

"You sound like a mad scientist." I joked as the anxiety I felt at her reaction began to eat away at me.

"I think I know what that feeling is." She announced, releasing my hands and sitting up to face me.

"Yeah?" I pressed.

"In life threatening situations, people like us can have...moments when we feel exactly what you felt. A sort of surge of adrenaline?"

"Exactly." I agreed, glad she understood.

"Well, that feeling is your natural defences coming into play. Except with some people, those defences are...well, magic."

I stared at her. I couldn't have magic...could I?

"Is this a joke?" I laughed nervously, hoping she would join me.

She shook her head.

"Right. Okay. Magic. I have magic." I muttered under my breath, trying to make sense of what was going on.

"Hey." Regina said, taking my hands once more. "Magic isn't something to be feared. It's something to be cherished. Something to be used properly."

"Maybe it wasn't magic." I suggested.

"No, it was magic. That's the only reason why you could even enter Storybrooke." She sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

"So everyone here has magic?" I frowned.

"No. There was an advancement in the town border that means only people with magic can cross the boundary."

"So that feeling like the whole earth was shaking and those flashes of purple and gold light, they - " I stuttered, finally beginning to catch on.

"They only happened because although you have magic, you had never used it and so weren't aware of it." She explained.

"Okay." I mumbled, coming to terms with it at last as I began to feel incredibly excited at the prospect of being able to use magic. "So now what?" I grinned, looking up to meet her sparking eyes.

"Now I teach you how to use it."


End file.
